Strategic Maneuvers
by DarkLeia
Summary: Pre-ESB. Han & Leia have crashed landed. Leia is convinced to take over the system's leadership, but there's a catch, an elixir and a scoundrel to deal with first. First fic in a loose series of 3 leading up to ESB, but each reads as a stand-alone. Fully written - a long time ago - so you can read with the knowledge that all chapters will get posted in due time.
1. Chapter 1: I'm Gonna Regret This

Disclaimer: Disney owns Lucas or is it Lucas owns Disney? Either way, I own whatever is left

Strategic Maneuvers

Formerly: Of Love and Marriage

By DarkLeia

June 21, 2001

Chapter 1: I'm Gonna Regret This

"Leia, I'm getting too old for this sort of thing. The people need a leader," King Antropo stated matter-of-factly in his lilting accent. Although the weariness of his words were clear, he was tall, square- shouldered and sturdy with a certain charismatic gracefulness and strength that belied his advancing age. It had been a stroke of sheer good fortune that Princess Leia and Han Solo had made an emergency landing on Uluruan. Antropo believed the young Princess had perished in the obliteration of Alderaan along with the rest of her family. Apparently, the few recent rumors that had made it out to this relatively remote part of the galaxy of her survival were true.

"Uncle, I must stay with the Rebellion," Leia protested calmly, leaning forward to emphasize her declaration.

Their former unplanned stop in this section of the Outer Rim had already taken more time away from the Rebellion than she had wished. While it was a wonderful unexpected surprise to find her mother's uncle, Leia's great-uncle, alive and well and still ruling Uluruan, she needed to get back to the business of war against the Empire.

"Yes, I fully support your leadership of the Alliance. However, this cannot wait much longer. You understand I need to officiate at the coronation of the new leader. It's tradition." He paused before going on to look at both the princess and Solo. King Antropo was using his most persuasive voice and the stingingly clear logic of a leader, "I could crown you as Queen now. You go, continue with the Rebellion and when it's over you can assume the position or crown Jara. He will be old enough by then. Something similar to this has worked in the past."

"I could be killed before then or captured by the Empire. Should I survive, I have no idea how long it would be before I could come back," Leia reasoned, as much as she didn't like to think of the consequences of war.

"Be that as it may, you are my only hope. Jara is but a toddler. He will never be King unless a crowned leader of the family presides over his coronation. The Regent can run things unofficially, but it is most important for the royal leadership continue for the people's sake. Surely you can accept that."

Leia sighed; pangs of guilt to her royal heritage and sense of duty coursed through her. Painful thoughts of Alderaan flooded her mind. If Alderaan had stayed intact and they had truly defeated the Empire, she more than likely would have assumed her position as Queen and Viceroy as well on that erstwhile world. Most likely, the people would have voted her in since she had been elected senator by a landslide. There was nothing she could do to change the past, but now the option to change the future was in front of her. She could see no real choice.

Solemnly, Leia averted her eyes and spoke softly, "Since I can no longer fulfill my duty to Alderaan, I … accept."

Han's eyes widened. Until now, he had been content to sit quietly beside her and try to keep his mind occupied with more interesting matters. Way more interesting, like the curve of Leia's neck, for instance, or the how enticing her lips looked as she spoke. It still amazed Solo how beautiful he found her.

The King was delighted, a broad smiled crossed his face as he clasped his hands together in relieved jubilation. "Wonderful. Thank you, dear Leia. You will not regret it," he assured in his deep voice. His face changed expression as he continued, "There is just one condition."

Sitting up straighter as if to burden her new mantle, she nodded to indicate he should go on.

"Each new leader must be bonded at the time of coronation."

Han perked up at that and turned more fully in his chair to watch Leia's reaction. She remained impassive.

"That's impossible, I'm afraid," Leia stated evenly, spreading her open hands in front of her in a sweepingly helpless gesture. It was one thing to become Queen in this situation, but bonding was out of the question. She was not about to create another problem by supposedly solving this one. Besides to whom would she bond? She stole a fleeting look at the gorgeous so-called mercenary sitting next to her who was trying his best not to overtly show any interest in the proceedings. There wasn't any romantic entanglements in her life at the present time and there wouldn't be either, if she had anything to do with it.

"It's unavoidable. The law goes back for generations," the King dismissed. He hadn't missed her stolen glimpse Solo's way.

"Then I'm sorry, Uncle. I wish I could've helped." Leia looked truly regretful.

The King was not about to let her back out now. "You are going to help. I can bond the two of you before the coronation ceremony."

"The two of who? Who are you talking about?" Leia glanced again at Solo, nervously hoping against hope that the King wasn't thinking what she thought he was thinking.

"You and Captain Solo here, of course," the King smiled, gesturing regally to the former smuggler seated next to the Princess.

"What!?" Both Leia and Han cried out simultaneously, staring at the King as if he had lost his mind.

The King seemed nonplussed, "Is that a problem?"

"I should say so. I'm not bonding to him!" Leia declared adamantly, pointing to Solo. This was not going to happen. No way.

"You can double that for me!" Han insisted, pointing to his chest, then towards the Princess. "I'm not bonding to her!"

King Antropo looked heavenward with his eyebrows raised. Leveling his gaze to them once more, he plastered a patronizing smile on his face and spoke in his most patient tones, "Leia, it would be best if you bonded with an offworlder. That way should something happen to me or you, the throne will remain intact with our family still possessing the right to rule. With no local family lines to be considered or appeased regarding the bonding, there will be no present or future threat to the throne. Plus, under these circumstances, the bonding can be done right away." With a warm smile, the King threw in what he thought would be the clincher, "It's obvious you two love each other. So what's the problem?"

"What's the _problem_?" Han asked incredulously, his whole face animated. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!"

Leia looked her uncle square in the eye and in punctuated, serious measured tones said, "I… am… not… bonding… to… him."

Noticing that neither of their comments specifically negated loving each other, the King held out hope, "Leia, my dear, I see the way you look at him. Anyone can see that you love him."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Han leaned back in his chair and grinned smugly at the Princess.

The blush came on fast and furious belying her words as she balked, "I do not." Leia refused to acknowledge even Solo's presence at this point, let alone his arrogance.

The King turned to Han, wagging a finger at him, "Don't look so smug, Captain. I saw the frantic look on your face today when you thought she was hurt and the deadly look in your eye when she was attacked before that. You love her, too."

The King referred to the incident that had taken place when Solo and Organa had landed without clearance. His guard force had been rather overzealous and exchanged blaster fire with Solo before Leia was able to announce who she was and why they had landed in such a fashion. Unfortunately, the King could not fault the guards. This was a system that protected their privacy with everything they had. The fact that the system was so out of the way was probably the only reason that the Empire had not tried to use more force than a couple surprise commando missions thus far. The guards had to assume it was just such an attempt when the Millennium Falcon had landed without prior clearance. The King was just grateful that Solo had saved Leia's life in the raucous exchange.

"I told ya' before. I was just makin' sure she was okay. I'm assigned to protect her," Han waved his hand, trying to play off the whole thing.

"Hmm." The King decided it was time for the big guns. "Fine. Since you're both so sure of your feelings, then you won't mind a little experiment."

"What kind of experiment?" Han asked warily. He had not shaken his distrust of this guy, regardless of what the Princess had insisted when they landed.

The King walked to the wall behind the desk and uncovered a secret compartment hidden there. He pulled out two flasks of a purple liquid. "This is a special elixir. An ancient formula. It has no ill effects, but lowers emotional inhibitions for 24 hours. It will not change or force out facts - or make you fall in love. However, it will encourage you to reveal your deepest truths and feelings. An emotional truth serum, if you will. The more emotional truth you reveal, the more euphoric you become."

"So what exactly are you suggesting?" asked Han, already knowing the answer.

"I suggest both of you take the elixir and stay tonight and tomorrow at the Garden Palace away from distractions. Spend time with each other. If at the end of that time, you come to me feeling the same, then we'll revisit the issue."

"I don't need any truth serum to tell me how I feel. Besides, I've learned to control mind-manipulating drugs. It won't work on me," Han said resolutely, waving off the idea.

"Me either, although it's been tried," Leia finished quietly, her expression falling dark as her mind involuntarily recalled her Death Star experience.

Inwardly, Han winced at Leia's words. It disturbed him on a deep level that she had been subjected to such torture before they had been able to rescue her.

A flicker of emotion crossed Antropo's face hearing of Leia's experience. Then he negated their concerns with a wave, "No, it doesn't work like that. I assure you. It doesn't manipulate you. It only helps let your guard down and gives you confidence to say what you feel."

He chuckled wistfully as if in memory of a past event, "A lot like alcohol without the side effects. Oh, and it does make it almost impossible to lie. You can, but the effort is immense and draining." He waited to let them absorb the information before continuing, "So?"

Han and Leia looked directly at each other, "No."

The King was ready for that, "If you're both so sure of your feelings, then what could go wrong?" Now for the challenge he knew they couldn't resist, "Or is it that you're both afraid that you do love each other?"

Leia couldn't refuse that challenge, even though everything in her screamed it was a bad idea. Maybe it would shut up Han and that smug attitude of his, once and for all. She picked up the flask and drank.

Replacing the drained flask on the desk, she turned to Solo and smiled challengingly. "Afraid, Hot Shot?"

Solo narrowed his eyes at her in a scowl, took the second flask and downed the tasteless liquid in one gulp. "Here's where the fun begins," he mumbled to no one in particular.

The King was pleased with his handiwork and set about making plans. "Excellent. I'll have a driver take you to the palace now and I'll send your things to you immediately, so you can get ready for dinner. I'll make all of the necessary arrangements. Just enjoy!"

"When does this stuff kick in?" Han asked.

"It will fully enter your system by the time you reach the palace. It's about a standard hour away. I'll see you two tomorrow night for dinner with your answer." King Antropo got up from his plush chair and left the room to arrange the preparations.

"Well, now what, Your Worship?" Han's expression was unreadable.

"Now, we go to the palace." Leia got up, spun on her heel and walked towards the door.

Han followed her out muttering to himself, "How do I get myself into these things?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Leia asked sarcastically without looking back.


	2. Chapter 2: A Princess in a Palace

Thanks to everyone for reading and especially for those reviewing/following the story! I'm honored. I just want to take a moment and thank my betas for this one. Over the years, dant solo has been an especially great help. She even let me bounce this fic off from her incredible 'Bonded' fic. Plus, I have had a couple of others who have braved the gauntlet: Stoned Rose and Srellet. So, if something is wrong, don't blame them because I was being stubborn and did it my way. Believe me, they tried to tell me and I'm most appreciative of their efforts. It's officially Friday where I am and that means a new post! Happy weekend! Chapter 2: A Princess in a Palace

Not speaking for the entire trip to the Garden Palace, Leia stared out the window of the transport trying to collect her thoughts. She desperately tried to think of a reason that it would have to be Han and not some other man from off-system.

_No, _she finally thought. _It would take even more time for anyone else to get here. Plus, it has to be someone I can trust. _

She would never tell him, of course, but she did trust Solo. _Maybe_ _that potion is affecting me, after all_, she thought, surprised at the easy admission.

She wondered how she truly did feel about him. She remembered being immediately attracted to him. It was natural. He was very handsome, self-assured and courageous. Of course, she came to understand quickly that also meant arrogant and unquestionably reckless. Later on, she saw it not so much reckless as calculated risk-taking… well, maybe not so much 'calculated' as reliant on luck.

While that 'Famous Solo Luck' had proven itself to him, she was less enthusiastic about that approach and preferred planning and preparation in her approach to life. They were too different, she had decided and hence forced herself not to think about him in a romantic way for a long time. Yes, they were too different.

Besides all of that, she constantly reminded herself that he was leaving which he never failed to make clear. What would be the point of pursuing a romance when it would lead to certain heartache? She had a Rebellion to run. She didn't have the time nor energy to put into romance with someone who didn't share her goals and had one foot out of the door all the time.

This is the way it had been in her head since early on. It didn't matter that just looking at him could make her heart pound. It didn't matter that she had a nearly impossible time keeping thoughts of him out of her head when her mind wandered. Or that he was the reason it wandered in the first place. It most certainly didn't matter that a part of her couldn't help herself from seeking him out even if she knew it would end in a heated argument.

Leia would just tamp down those feelings every time they occurred, did her best to ignore them and soundly admonished herself for them. At the same time, she had allowed herself a logical and decidedly practical concession of developing a friendship of sorts with Solo and a war-time trust. Either one could be swearing they hated the other up and down at any given moment and still be counted on to save the other's life at that same moment. Their time on the Death Star had cemented their bond as far as that went.

_Bonding_, Leia smirked to herself as she thought about it_. With Han? What am I going to do about this?_

Upon arrival, they were greeted by the very formally attired major domo of the palace.

"Greetings, Your Highness, Captain Solo." The tall, thin and meticulous local humanoid bowed properly. "I am Sefiirs."

Before the Princess or Han could respond, Sefiirs saw a second transport pull up and barely flicked a finger on the right hand held stiffly at his side. "I see the speeder with your things is arriving now." His staff made a subtle scramble towards the transport. Sefirs practiced formality was efficient, "Everything has been arranged for your stay. Dinner will be ready in 45 minutes standard."

Gently gesturing in a short sweeping motion, his voice contained the assurance of one who would stand for nothing less than perfection for anything under his direction, "You will not be disturbed. Security is stationed only at the perimeter of the grounds. I am at your service should you require anything at any time during your stay. Princess, your bedchambers are up stairs on the right. Captain, your chambers are on the left across the hall. The dining room is straight ahead and to the left corridor. May I have someone come in and serve the beverages in the adjoining room or perhaps you would prefer to rest upstairs before dinner?"

"That won't be necessary, Sefirs. However, could you explain what 'things' the King has sent?" Leia answered unable to shake the idea of the uncanny resemblance to a certain protocol droid. She was curious what was being offloaded from the second transport since she and Han had not taken any type of baggage with them off the Falcon.

"Princess Leia, the King has sent fresh attire for both you and Captain Solo for your comfort during your time with us. If there is nothing else I can help you with at the present time, will you excuse me? I will check on dinner." With another bow, he left to meet the speeder.

Leia and Han looked at each other. Solo rolled his eyes and Leia sighed knowing he was less than losing patience already just like he would with Threepio. Some things never change. Without a word, Leia headed to her room upstairs to freshen up and think. Han went straight for a drink – a very stiff one.

A short while later, Leia came down to join him. She found Han pouring himself what had to be at least a second drink. He noticed her arrival without looking up at her.

"Wanna a drink?"

"Why not? Thanks." The Princess, suddenly restless, walked around the room absently admiring the artwork on the walls while he took a second glass and poured her drink. Dressed in an elegant, dark lavender gown with a fitted bodice and a single brown braid falling down her back, Leia swept back one of several wisps softly framing her face as she wondered why she felt a little unsure of herself.

Han turned to hand her the drink and immediately was taken aback by how beautiful she looked. Rarely had he had the opportunity to see Leia so formally dressed and appearing for all intents and purposes like a Princess. Seeing her now, he wished the occasion would come up more often.

"You look _amazing_," Han beamed with an obvious and appreciative smile lighting up his eyes as he gave her royal-like gown the once-over, then the twice-over. He intended to leer, but it came out differently than he expected, _nicer_. Yet, he was so busy in his intense appraisal of her that he hadn't noticed the difference. "I didn't know we were dressing for dinner."

While blushing a very pretty pink, she hated herself that he embarrassment was evident and even more for liking his open stare. Their hands brushed as she took the drink from him, giving off little shocks of electricity everywhere their skin touched.

"Thanks. Since we're here, I thought I might as well enjoy it," Leia answered shyly, trying to explain her change in attire. It felt good to be wearing dress clothes for a change and even more so that it had so obviously stunned the rough-around-the-edges smuggler.

Han silently seconded the idea as something they could both enjoy. This softer enchanting image of her made something in his chest do pleasant little flips whenever he looked at her.

Talking as innocently as possible throughout dinner, mostly about the food, both secretly wondered if that elixir would actually work. Once the subject of food was exhausted, they continued to speak guardedly, staying on safe topics, just in case. Both the smuggler and the Princess purposely watched their words and tone during each course.

Han put his unease down to being in an untried atmosphere. Here he was having dinner in a palace with a Princess supposedly with the express purpose of discerning their deep feelings towards each other. In the years that he had known Leia, he teased her enough about her royal status, but here it was in all its glory right in front of him. And it was definitely something to see.

As for Leia, she was feeling more and more comfortable in an element she had been forced to abandon a long time ago now. However, having dinner with Han Solo under such circumstances proved to be rather unnerving, especially with the thought that the preposterous elixir might just do enough to throw them into an unwanted conversation.

After dessert, the staff cleared the dishes and dutifully disappeared leaving the two of them alone and awkwardly wondering what to do next. Solo stood up. He needed to do something besides sitting around while the tension grew. The more he watched her, the more a strange feeling kept tugging at him.

"Well, how 'bout a walk around the grounds? I'd love to check this place out," Han suggested.

"That sounds good. I wouldn't mind walking off some of this rich food," Leia agreed, easily taking his arm without realizing he didn't exactly offer it.

With only a surreptitious glance at her hand grasping his bicep, Han led her out the side door and into the moonlit gardens. They wound along the flat stone path, breathing in the sweet delicate aroma of exotic flowers drifting in the warm night breeze. The gardens were an intricate maze of stone, small waterfalls, pools, and greenery with bursting with blooms of flowers everywhere. The inescapable romantic atmosphere spoke of hidden kisses and whispered pledges. King Antropo obviously knew what he was doing, Han noted snidely to himself.

After they had been walking a few minutes, the Princess strove to find something to say. "It certainly is lovely here. It reminds me of the Palace of Keliaan on Alderaan," Leia remarked.

"Keliaan. That was supposed to be your palace, right?" Han asked casually, trying to keep his tone light. Whenever Leia brought up Alderaan, his chest tightened in protective empathy. He was one of the very few people who had truly seen the depth of Leia's grief.

"Yes," Leia answered, striving to keep the memories positive in her mind. Alderaan had never fully left her thoughts since their conversation with the King. If anything, the memories were stronger and more vivid now than they had been in a long time.

They strolled on a little more before Han piped up again, "If this place is anything like Keliaan, then I can see why you liked it there. It suits you."

"Oh?" Leia raised her eyebrows. A sincere compliment from Han?

"It's not like you aren't an effective military leader, Sweetheart," Han began, somewhat unsure where he wanted to go with this. "But dressed for the part… being here…" He exhaled a quick sigh as his mouth tugged up at one corner, thinking of the contrast to her life now. "You seem like you belong here. Like it's what you were meant for."

Unable to hold the heartfelt moment, he grinned down at her and quipped, "I guess a princess is a princess, no matter the palace."

She closed her eyes momentarily in exasperation, but didn't say anything right away. One moment Han was paying her compliments and with the very next breath, his usual flippancy slipped firmly back into place. Leia wasn't sure what to make of his inane remark, but he had a point.

"I must admit, it's closer to what I thought my life would be like when I was very young. But as I became older, I realized that the Empire had to be stopped. The Rebellion is my life now." Leia said the last with finality as if feeling the need to convince herself as well as Solo. Fate handed her this destiny and she would see it through to the end.

_You don't have to tell me that twice, _Han thought.

Leia continued, "Now that you've effectively joined the Rebellion-"

Stopping mid-stride, Han cut her off, correcting her, "Hold on a minute there, Your Worship. I haven't joined the Rebellion."

Han was compelled to follow as the Princess continued walking. She glanced up at him with an almost accusatory look, "Haven't you, Han? You've been with us for almost three years now. Face it, you're in almost as far as the rest of us and you haven't left. I'd say that qualifies as joined, maybe not officially, but joined nonetheless." She nodded as if to confirm her realization. Interesting how that concept had never fully formed in her head before tonight. The idea calmed her somehow. He had been there, had stayed.

"You make it all sound so simple," Han dismissed with an expansive wave of his hand washing through the night air.

"It's not though, is it?" Leia agreed. Feeling braver, she turned her searching gaze up to him as they walked on, "Why _have _you stayed this long?"

Han stiffened. How could he answer that? Han tried his best to sound nonchalant, "Things keep comin' up and gettin' in the way. Jabba wasn't exactly happy before, so by now he's bound to be in a real bad mood. The Rebellion is as good as place as any to avoid him until I can try to pay him and still keep breathing."

That was the truth, not the entire truth, but part of it. Han usually deluded himself into believing that he wasn't even sure what the entire truth was. Of course, Chewie had told him what it was many times: Solo stayed for the Princess's sake. Sometimes, Han hated when that big overgrown fuzzball was right.

Leia was not about to take that old excuse of his this time. She knew she was onto something. "You could've left to do that long ago," she surmised with a good amount of certainty. It was a very rare thing to get Han to talk about this subject. He would never fail to bring up leaving the Rebellion, but he hardly ever touched on his reasons for sticking around. Leia was eager to take any opportunity she could to know why. She had convinced herself that if she knew why he stayed, then maybe she could find a way to persuade him to formally join the Alliance. At least, that's what she always liked to tell herself. Sometimes, late at night, she would allow herself a different reason for wanting to know why, but never allowed those thoughts to see the light of day.

"Why else have you stayed?" Leia coaxed.

Halting abruptly, Han leaned in close to her ear, speaking in seductively low, challenging tones, "Testing the magic potion, Princess?" Pulling back slightly to see her reaction, a mischievous lopsided smile crept up his face while his eyes found hers in the moonlight.

"Maybe," she shrugged noncommittally, only now dropping her hand from his bicep. His voice rumbling so near had affected her more than she would have liked, yet the Princess was somehow able to maintain her casual demeanor despite the physical proximity of his handsome features.

"Do you really think it's gonna work?" Han asked evenly, standing straighter again. A part of Han suddenly pulled at him to tell her the rest: the main reason he stayed was for her. Could it be her possible negative reaction that was holding him back? Right now, it seemed to be the only thing that was holding him back. He cursed that ridiculous elixir for indeed having an effect on him.

Leia shrugged again, relieved that there now was more space between them. "I suppose it could. I take it you don't think so?"

"I've seen a lot of strange things, but I doubt it. If anything, I think your uncle is relying on nature." Han began, slowly closing the gap between them again, staring into her deep brown eyes suggestively, "Time alone, a romantic setting, a man and a woman might naturally find something to do together."

The Princess's eyes widened at his comment. _There's that infuriating wink of his. _To her dismay, she was amused by it, too. Annoyed with herself for feeling embarrassed, Leia blushed and looked away. Obviously, he was looking for a strong reaction to that comment and she refused to comply.

"He said it would only encourage existing emotions and couldn't manufacture feelings," she reminded him quietly.

The warm breeze swirled around them, tickling their faces as neither moved. Several unending seconds passed in complete silence, each considering how they felt. Han long suspected the Princess harbored real feelings for him beyond annoyance, but there was no way to be sure. _Leia, tell me what you feel, _Han's heart pleaded silently. The question burned at Han's lips, begging to be spoken. Suddenly, his urge to know the answer became a need he could no longer ignore. Finally, Han recaptured her eyes, his stare piercing into her soul.

"So what's already there, Princess?"


	3. Chapter 3: Stupid Potion

Chapter 3: Stupid Potion

Again his voice rumbled into her being, stirring the tempest of emotions within her. The question didn't surprise her so much as scare her. Her breath caught in her chest for an eternity. Her hesitation was palpable. The desire to answer him with feelings she refused to admit to before was nagging at her – hard. She did the only thing she could besides admitting her feelings… she turned the tables.

"Now it sounds like you're the one conducting a test," she stammered.

Seeing his attempt foiled, Han straightened up and pursed his lips for a second, "Maybe I am. The way I see it, we have two options. One, we can stop dancin' around the issue and put it all to the test: the potion, our feelings, whatever… Or, two, we can forget the whole thing and walk away right now."

Watching carefully for her reaction, this time he leveled his stare so close to her that Leia began to tremble uncontrollably. Hoping he couldn't actually see her shaking, her eyes focused on his and she could feel his warm breath caressing her face.

"Do you want to walk away, yes or no?"

Leia's heart dipped at the question, but she couldn't summon her voice. She was far too busy sinking into the depths of his gaze. She had no choice. There was nowhere else she could possibly force herself to stare, except into his mesmerizing hazel eyes. They beckoned to her, drew her to them, seduced her. They told her things she didn't want to know, but desperately wanted to hear him say. She knew the look in her own eyes betrayed her, telling him things she still did not fully understand.

"… no," she said in a small voice. "Do you?"

"No," he murmured and shook his head slowly.

The elation of this small, but mutual admission was extremely encouraging. Both stood there staring and wondering how to proceed. Their eye contact only compelled their emotions to overwhelm them, almost beyond control. Han found himself focused on her lips and how sweet they would taste.

"Now what?" Leia was finally able to utter. Suddenly, an intense vision washed through her of being caught up in his strong arms, her hands entrenched in his hair, and being kissed so sensuously that she would have no choice but to...

"You tell me you love me," he breathed unsteadily. He didn't move, not wanting to take the chance that she would deny his demand. Valiantly, he fought the desire to pull her to him and kiss her until she confessed. He didn't care why he wanted her to love him. At that moment, all he cared about was that she did love him.

Leia's eyes answered for her immediately, but she still held back. From somewhere hidden within her heart, the undeniable urge to tell him that she did, indeed, love him was very strong. Yet, her fear of everything else… of Han truly returning those feelings, of not returning those feelings, him eventually leaving, the future, what it all meant… was still more overpowering. The Princess closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, willing her control to come back to her. She turned away and gazed off into the garden as if the answers were there.

"Suppose that was true… for the sake of argument," Leia finally whispered softly, unable to help herself. She didn't say the words aching deep inside of her, the very words he asked to hear, but it felt like a release of tension nonetheless. Just the idea of loving him felt wonderful coursing through her, but it also felt frightening and far too distressing to deal with. Besides, there was the Rebellion. It was what she was living for now. Here was her chance to put the idea of any romance to rest.

Han's heart thumped in simultaneous joy and fear. "Go on," he coaxed, trying to maintain a steady voice. She hadn't actually admitted to loving him, he had to remind himself. She was _supposing_. As if all she was willing to admit to was a possibility that she might feel something.

"It would just open up a set of new problems," Leia sighed, shaking her head.

He pulled back, forehead wrinkled, "Like what?"

Her emotions a jumble of confusion, she wasn't certain how to begin. She decided on conveying it in the least emotional terms she could come up with. "Like I'm a leader in the Alliance and you-"

Crestfallen, Han cut her off angrily, "Oh, I see. You don't think a princess and a guy like me-"

Quickly returning her eyes to his, it was Leia's turn to cut him off, "No. It's not like that at all."

Anger checked, Han was still unsure, "Then what is it?"

Han Solo would be just too hard to get over. She would bet everything she had on it. As it was, she didn't know how she was going to let him go when the time eventually came. Leia dropped her gaze, her voice full of regret and sadness, "You're leaving. Sooner or later, you _are_ going to leave. I don't think I could handle losing someone else I…" The princess boldly lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, "I care about." He was her friend and she did care about him that way, she wouldn't deny that.

Han was happy at her admission of caring, but his face showed pain.

"You're right. I do have to leave to pay off Jabba and I might not make it out alive." He had thought about leaving many times, but could never bring himself to do it, yet.

Leia touched the sleeve of his ever-present flight jacket, turning pale at the thought.

Han grimaced and finally admitted to himself that he didn't want to lose her either.

"But, Sweetheart, I'm not leaving today or tomorrow. Besides, we Corellians are the closest thing to indestructible there is." Seeing only the tiniest bit of indulgent reaction on her face, he felt overly compelled to add, "Maybe I could come back – if I had a good reason."

It was the first time the princess had even heard Han say anything about possibly coming back. She permitted a small part of her heart to soar in hope, but refused to go any further in reacting in any way. Leia began strolling again and Han fell into step beside her. She considered what he had said, but was still aching from a loss that hadn't occurred yet. Naturally, the loss of Alderaan came in on the heels of that problem. It swirled in her brain with all of the other concepts that had come into being tonight. The idea of the bonding burst into her thoughts. Suddenly, a feeling came over her and she knew what she had to do, regardless of the consequences. After a few more minutes of gathering her courage, she cleared her throat tentatively.

"What?" Han asked.

Leia remained casual, "I was thinking. Maybe we should go through with the bonding. Nobody said we had to love each other to get bonded. In fact, many royal bondings have nothing to do with love. Plus, we can get a dissolution after I'm crowned."

"That may be true, but the answer is still no," Han said firmly.

"Come on, Han. You heard my uncle. You know what their facing. They need our help," Leia pointed out.

Han was reminded of similar words from Luke just before the Battle of Yavin. He wasn't falling for that again.

"That's _their_ problem. It may even be your problem, Your Worshipfulness, but it sure isn't mine," Han finished, pointing to his chest with his thumb.

Perhaps Leia had been wrong about him, after all. After the Death Star, she had believed he wasn't a true mercenary in his heart. In addition, she thought the feelings of friendship that had now passed between them were real. Apparently, none of it mattered as much as she thought. Sadly, Leia quietly appealed to his mercenary side, "What's it worth to you then, Han? How much to make it your problem? I'm sure the King could be persuaded to make worth your while."

He was hurt by her words, wasn't she the one who professed that she knew there was more to him than money? Angrily, Han stopped walking pulling her to a stop forcefully by her elbow, "Is that what you think this is about? Credits? Well, I've got news for you, Your High and Mightiness. I do have some standards. Corellians take bonding very seriously. When we choose a lifemate, it's not because of credits or for some sham. And it's sure as hell not to uphold some ridiculous royal tradition!"

Leia didn't know whether to be impressed by his stance regarding bonding and yet another opposite instance of his self-proclaimed mercenary ways or be offended by his remarks against royal traditions. Her second thought was that she agreed with him about the stupidity of many of those arcane traditions.

"Look, Han, I don't always agree with royal traditions either. On Alderaan, we felt the same way about bonding as you do and that included the royal family. But, that's not the way it is here and there are more important things to worry about. Things like the people of this system."

"Save the speech, Your Worship. I've heard it before," Solo said, shaking his head in exasperation.

She couldn't give up. This was too important. "Han, hear me out. Please?"

It was the 'please' that did him in. Han could not recall her saying it to him in any way other than sarcastically. He blew out a breath and nodded his assent.

"The only reason this system has not been taken over by the Empire is because the people believe in the guidance of the royal leadership. If that breaks down, the Empire will be in here faster than we can blink. I can't let that happen. I can't stand by and let the Empire take another system if I can do anything about it."

Stand by _again_. The thought echoed through her mind. Logically, she knew she couldn't have saved Alderaan that day, but she never could shake the feeling that she had just stood by and let it happen. It haunted her.

"This is not Alderaan, Sweetheart," Han pointed out quietly and more gently, as if reading her thoughts.

"No, it's not," she retorted angrily. "Alderaan is gone! This is all I have left of my family and I'll be damned if I let them be taken away from me!"

Leia forcibly calmed herself with a few deep breaths. Screaming at him wouldn't help.

Nevertheless, Han was affected by her words and vehemence. He knew very well the feelings behind them. Long ago, in another place, he had felt them himself.

She took a step closer and laid her hands on his forearms, speaking more gently, "Han, for all of our disagreements, we have always been able to depend on you. You have never let us down when it comes to risking your life to save one of ours in the Alliance."

"That was different," Solo shrugged his embarrassment off, wondering why she was referring collectively to the Rebellion and not herself. It was for her - and maybe Luke - that he risked his life for, not the Rebellion.

"The only difference is that this time," Leia spoke softly, raising her pleading eyes to meet his, "I'm asking you."

A/N: Thank you for your reviews/favs/follows! I appreciate every one of them! MTFBWY!


	4. Chapter 4 : Ironic, Isn't it?

It's Friday again! That means a new post! Thank you all for sticking with me and that goes double if you reviewed! But I love you all for reading anyway!

Chapter 4: Ironic, Isn't It?

Squeezing his eyes shut, Han whispered in a low voice, "You don't know what you're asking me to do."

"Yes. I do," said Leia, so sincerely that it caused him to reopen his troubled eyes.

Han saw the truth in her eyes. Pulled in two opposing and equally strong directions, he broke from her gaze and walked over to a nearby fountain. He sat down on the ledge, elbows on knees, dropping his face into his hands.

A million things jumbled through his mind. What was he going to do? He wanted to help her. He really did. But this… He had very few beliefs from his Corellian Clan heritage that he clung to, but the idea of bonding being sacred had always been particularly important to him. It was one of the very reasons he avoided it altogether.

_Aw, Sweetheart … Leia, why this? Why now?_

Could he bring himself do this for her? Solo would give his life for her without a thought. She had been right about that. He had always felt a strong sense of protectiveness towards the petite princess. That thought made something pleasant tingle at the back of his mind.

He supposed it had partly to do with how they met, partly to do with his kinship to her regarding their mutual loss of family, and partly that he cared about her. After all, they were friends when all was said and done. Friends. Maddeningly so at times, but friends just the same.

A warm feeling spread through his veins. Han Solo had never had many people in his life that he considered a trusted friend, but somehow he had picked up two in the last few years. Luke and the Princess had found their way into his heart and … Han smirked silently at his unusual choice of terms.

_My heart? _

The warm feeling became stronger, more encouraging. Well, he understood Luke. He was simply a good kid; like a younger brother. What you saw was what you got with Luke.

Leia, however, was another story entirely. 'Simple' was not a word he could apply to her. Princess Leia was single-minded in her goals on the surface, but a complex woman lurked underneath. It was a complexity that had intrigued Solo and begged him to tease her until she gave him a fleeting peek at the real her. He couldn't resist the challenge of her. He had to admit it was one of the things he enjoyed most about their relationship.

_One of the things_, something in him nudged coaxingly.

Han smiled to himself. Yes, there were other things. He admired Leia's strength, courage, determination, and her quick wit that matched his own and even bested him now and then, all wrapped up in one stunningly beautiful package.

_You have to love her… love?_

Why did that feel so good?

_I love her?_

The deep feeling increased tenfold. Han couldn't dismiss the notion that the elixir was affecting him.

_I love her._

It was no longer a question. It was a realization of the truth. A truth he had long fought to deny to himself. Han felt like jumping up, taking Leia into his arms and twirling her around while kissing her breathless.

In fact, he was just about to when it hit him – the bonding. Solo's heart sank. Now it was worse. How could he deal with the bonding? He loved her, of that he was now sure. He was not as sure of Leia's feelings, however.

She had admitted to caring about him and alluded to possibly feeling more, but that was not the same thing as loving him. Han thought about their prolonged intense eye contact from before. He had believed he saw so much there, but maybe it had been wishful thinking. Leia hadn't said she loved him, she had asked him to bond to her. Han smirked to himself again considering the twisted irony of the situation.

Then sighed to himself, _Well, Solo, if you love her, then you can do this. Do it for her. _

The Princess stared at him for a long time, but he never moved or made a sound. After several minutes, she frowned and lowered her head to stare sadly at the stone walkway.

Han heard her soft footsteps on the path as she began to walk away.

"I'll do it."

Leia stopped in mid-stride at the sound of his voice, not entirely sure if she had just imagined his response. No, he had spoken. And he had _agreed_. She turned back to look at him and saw he had not moved a muscle from his position. Tentatively, she walked over and sat beside him, much closer than she normally would. She waited for him to move. When he didn't, she laid her hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly.

Han slid his hands through his hair with a rough sigh, then sat up and looked at her lovely face.

_Damn potion does work! _

Willing him see the grateful seriousness in her eyes, Leia whispered, "Thank you, Han."

Solo stood up and took her hand, "Come on, let's go get some sleep."

She left her cool hand wrapped in his larger one as they walked back to her room. Leia's body felt numb, barely feeling the warmth surrounding her fingers. It was as if someone else was holding his hand and she was watching it happen.

They hadn't said a word the entire way back. As they arrived at the door of her room, Han dropped her hand and stood watching her. Leia palmed opened the door and faced him. Suddenly, she had no idea what she could possibly say to him. Things had become awkward.

"I'll call my uncle in the morning, so he can start with the preparations… if that's all right with you?" She couldn't meet his eyes. Never in her wildest dreams could Leia have imagined this particular scenario or feeling so strange in Han's presence.

"Sure, if that's what you want." Han didn't like this new tension between them.

"Well, good night," the Princess said, barely audible as she turned to go inside.

Han couldn't leave it like this. He grabbed her hand and turned her around to face him, "Princess."

Leia's eyes automatically met his at the sound of the tender tone in his voice when calling her 'Princess'. As it was, he hardly ever used her actual title and even more rarely with such gentleness to it.

Han didn't really know what to say, but he wanted to assure her. He cocked his head and gave his best lopsided grin, "It'll be all right, Sweetheart. Trust me."

How many times had she seen and heard that exact routine from him and been wary and frustrated? At this moment, it was the farthest idea from her mind. Instead, Leia had a powerful urge to fling herself into his arms and tell him she loved him. She loved him for doing this for her, she loved him for caring about her, she loved him for being the man that he was… she loved him. However, she only smiled at him and he squeezed her hand in return.

After another moment of staring into his expressive hazel eyes, she just had to laugh, "For once, I think I should be the one saying that to you."

"I always knew you wanted to call me 'Sweetheart'," Han smirked back, playfully. She rolled her eyes downward in momentary exasperation and Han's heart skipped a beat. He adored little things like that about her.

"Yet, it's uncanny how nerfherder just keeps coming out instead," she teased, her eyes now sparkling again. They had found their natural rhythm with each other once again. Things would be okay between them.

"Yeah, you'll have to work on that." His smile grew to a full grin. She always could keep up her end of their banter. Why did it always excite him when she did? He couldn't help leaning down and kissing her quickly on the forehead. "G'night, Princess."

_Damn potion!_

Leia was stunned at the action. Her heartbeat fluttered and she felt as if she were floating. Her flushed grin reached to her eyes, there was no hiding it. "Good night, Han," she said, quickly averting her gaze and making her escape into her room.

Han strode into his room with a stupid smile on his face, heading straight for the bed. Why did he feel so good about this suddenly? Well, there was Leia's undeniable reaction when he kissed her forehead. She rarely ever smiled like that. He had seen it on occasion, but she carried so much sadness deep inside of her, that true happiness almost never showed through on her soft features. And here he had been responsible for that this once.

He loved this woman. He wished he could show her, tell her, make her understand what she meant to him. At the very least, he wanted to explore the possibilities with her. Yet, he had sealed his fate. He couldn't make any sort of real move in that direction now. He couldn't let her think he wanted her to be his lifemate in the genuine sense of the word. That would just shove her away in no uncertain terms. No, he would have to win her over.

Shrugging off his clothes, Solo flopped into bed. He knew she felt something deep for him. He was sure of it now. All right, so maybe they were going about it backwards. Stranger things had been known to happen. And hey, truth be told, he had always loved her, from the very start. Han sighed just before closing his eyes, another night where Leia was his last thought before falling asleep. Shutting his eyes, he willed sleep to come quickly or he would find himself unable to sleep much at all, for his mind would willingly rather occupy itself with her, especially tonight.


	5. Chapter 5: Did You Ever Think?

Chapter 5: Did You Ever Think?

Leia awoke to the fresh scent of flowers floating in from the gardens below. As she dressed, she couldn't help but think about her undeniable excitement the night before.

Suddenly, her feelings for Han were careening out of control. She dressed quickly, only interested in finding him. She needed to see him for some reason that she couldn't understand.

It was early and she hesitated to see if he was in his room across the hall. With her emotions running high, she was afraid of what he might think she was implying. It was a crazy thought, but she wasn't sure she was thinking completely clearly anyway.

So, why was she seeking him out then? Again, Leia had no answer for herself. She only knew that she had to find him and be near him. _Must be that damn potion._ She absently wondered how he was feeling as she made her way down the stairs.

She found Han in the same room as she had found him the night before. This time he looked up at her instantly, a smile spreading across his face at the sight of her.

"Mornin', Sweetheart."

"Good morning, Han. You're up early." She felt a sense of growing euphoria being in the same room with him again.

"Couldn't sleep. Guess it's those pre-bonding jitters you hear about," Han remarked, sitting down on the long sofa near the doors leading out to the garden.

_The bonding!_

How could she have forgotten about the bonding? Was he backing out? Leia walked toward the luxurious sofa, feeling inexplicably drawn to over to him. She was having trouble concentrating which disturbed her even more. Concentration and being able to control her mind had always been easy for her. Solo was somehow currently distracting her in a way she could not remember ever experiencing before to this degree.

"Have you changed you mind?"

"No, it's just a joke. What's the matter?" Han could see her mind was elsewhere; otherwise she probably wouldn't have taken him so seriously. She knew him better than that. Once he said he would do something, he did it – especially where she was concerned. Funny, the Princess always had a way of getting him to do things that he normally wouldn't do. Solo wondered if she knew the power she held over him in that regard. He reached out for her hand and pulled Leia willingly down to sit next to him.

Staring at the gardens beyond the open doors, she sighed. "I don't know. Nothing."

Han looked more closely at her. There was something in her expression, but he couldn't decide what.

"Have you contacted your uncle yet?"

Leia shook her head, "Not yet."

She felt nervous sitting so near to him, but it was exciting at the same time. She strove to maintain a normal demeanor. It wouldn't do for the normally conceited Captain to suspect that she had an inexplicable urge to be near him and that she liked that urge far too much.

"Well, look, he seemed pretty sure of himself yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if the old fossil is making plans already anyway."

Leia smirked, "That old fossil is about to become your in-law." And Han was about to become her lifemate! This was not how she envisioned these events in her life. Then again, what had worked out the way she had envisioned them? No matter, she would just deal with it. It had to be done, like it or not. Right now she secretly liked it.

Han chuckled, "Yeah, more royalty, just what I need." When Leia showed no reaction to that at all, he became concerned, "Are you okay with this?"

"I have to be. Too much is depending on it," Leia said in that stoic voice she tended to use in situations like this. Truly she was just trying to control herself. The nearness of him was a heady feeling and she was overcompensating for it. _Shouldn't that potion be wearing _off_ instead of getting stronger?_ she thought.

"Don't sound too excited, Your Worship," Han said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

She snapped her head up to look at him, "It's not yo- I just never thought I would be getting bonded like this…" she looked away, "because I had to."

Han squeezed her hand in reassurance. If he was going through with this, the least he could do was be there for her. He tried to make light of the situation, "I guess I'm not the prince you were hoping for, huh?"

She smiled at that, "Who ever said I wanted to bond with a prince?"

Mildly surprised and heartened by her answer, Han took the opportunity to fish for her feelings on the subject under the guise of humor. "Well, I'll bet you didn't have a guy like me in mind."

'_Guy like him_,' she thought: _gorgeous_, confident, inspired, brave, _gorgeous, _intelligent, quick-witted, loyal, _gorgeous,_ supremely talented pilot, tall, _gorgeous_… he was exactly who she would order. Leia smiled inwardly, _if he only knew._

She chose a few from a second and completely opposite list that thankfully raced through her mind, "You mean an arrogant, reckless flyboy like you?"

"You're forgetting decorated hero of the Rebellion that saved your royal skin a few times and the best pilot in the galaxy. You could do worse," Han wagged a finger at her, mockingly smug.

Leia raised an eyebrow, "What about you? Did you ever think you would be bonding with someone like me?"

He raised his eyebrows and flashed his endearing crooked grin, "You mean a bossy, stuck-up Alderaanian Princess?" He had been studying the soft wave of the few strands of hair that she always seemed to leave loose around her ears. It drove him wild every time he looked at her. It gave Leia a sense of seductiveness Solo doubted she was aware of. Reaching out, Han couldn't help stroking one of the stray hairs behind her ear. "No, I can't say that ever came to mind."

Tingles shot through her body from her ear to her toes. Leia blushed and forced herself to find the gardens extremely interesting again. He did have a way about him when he teased her that made her feel opposing emotions. Instead of jumping up and distancing herself, she warred with the desire to lean into him.

With a steadying breath, Leia fought to keep her mind on the business at hand, "You realize that regardless of what my uncle thinks about us, we have to act as if we want to be lifemate bonded in front of everyone else for this to work."

"You mean like we _love _each other?" Han stared into her eyes, sounding dead serious about his intention behind that statement.

Leia's heart stopped, she was sure of it.

"Yes," she breathed, trying not to sound obvious in any way that she not only understood his covert meaning, but desperately wanted it to be the truth for them. She had zero idea if she was successful, but she did know she had to get out of there right now.

"I should really go contact my uncle," she declared, standing abruptly.

Solo tried not to look disappointed, "Uh, yeah, sure. You go do that. I'll get ready to leave."

Leia nodded, but said nothing, no longer trusting her voice.


	6. Chapter 6:Oh Sure, It's a Friendly Favor

It's a couple hours before it's officially Friday where I am, but it's never too early for more H/l, right? Hey, THANK YOU all for sticking with me and letting me know you like this. MTFBY Always!

Chapter 6: Oh Sure, It's a Friendly Favor

They arrived back at the main palace a few hours later. Neither had spoken much the entire time. King Antropo requested that they meet with him immediately.

"Leia, Solo, I trust that you both enjoyed your time at the Garden Palace?" He asked by way of greeting before the door had shut behind them.

Han glanced at Leia questioningly. Hadn't she told him of the circumstances? Leia said nothing until the door shut.

The King noticing Han's inquiring expression explained, "Just a precaution. No one must know of the true circumstances behind this bonding. Come sit down, we have some things to discuss."

Both Princess Leia and Solo took seats in the lounge area of the huge stately office. The King seated himself across from them.

"There is much to be done. There will be a formal dinner tonight to announce your bonding, which had been set for the day after tomorrow. Dinner is at 19:00 sharp. All of the principle dignitaries will be there. As requested, Princess, I am keeping the press as limited as possible so as to avoid arousing any suspicions with the Empire. I can see to it that your names are not spread offworld."

Han shook his head in disbelief, "And how exactly are you going to do that? Word tends to get around." Solo didn't like the idea of the Empire getting wind of this and putting Leia in the same position as she had been with Alderaan. Although there was no longer a Death Star to contend with, that didn't mean they couldn't use this system to make her life a living hell. He couldn't see her go through that again.

"This is a small world, relatively unnoticed as it is. Our people are interested in keeping to themselves as much as possible and if I present to them that our new queen and her lifemate seek privacy for the good of the people, they will trust me. It's been done before here quite successfully. After Alderaan, we are all quite aware of how our lives depend on keeping the Empire out. When Leia decides to actively rule from the throne, it is then that the people will expect her to reveal herself beyond this system. You have to understand, it's our way."

"_If_ I decide to rule," Leia firmly reminded the King.

King Antropo smiled indulgently, acknowledging her reluctance.

Solo still wasn't sure, but he had no choice except to trust him at this point. "You better be right about that," Han warned protectively. "How do you know you can trust these 'dignitaries?' Won't they have a problem with an offworlder being married into the family instead of one of them?"

"As long as it appears that you two have been involved for some time, it won't be a problem. They do have family interests to protect, but that includes protecting their status from the Empire even more so."

The King could see that Solo was still not convinced. He leaned forward to lend weight to his words. "I have no interest in putting Princess Leia in any danger. Her anonymity will be protected as well as yours," the King reassured him once again.

Solo again assessed the King's words. Despite her reasoning for it, Leia was taking a huge chance and Han knew that she understood that. It was one of the reasons he agreed to go through this with her.

"Now there is much to be done. I have assigned you each a primary assistant. They will take care of all that you require to prepare for the ceremonies. Princess, it would be best if you met with yours immediately. She is waiting outside for you. I have a few things to go over with Captain Solo here in the meantime."

"That will be fine, Uncle." She stood, "I'll see you both at dinner."

After Leia left, King Antropo poured a couple of drinks and offered one to Solo. "I think you will like this."

"This isn't another one of your magic potions, is it?" Han said sarcastically, giving the liquid a sniff.

"Far from it," the King chuckled. He obviously liked the charismatic Solo.

"So what's this about?" Han asked, getting down to business. He never did like beating around the borran tree.

"I wanted to know how things went between you and Princess Leia while at the Garden Palace," the King smiled.

"Why don't you ask her?" Han said suspiciously.

Raising his eyebrows, the King chuckled, "Oh, I did." Leaning back into the cushion behind him, he brought his gazed to rest on Solo. "Now, I am asking you."

"What did she say?" Han asked, looking slightly uneasy.

The King's grin grew wider as he read much into Solo's reaction, "She said to ask you."

Han's admiration of Leia raised yet another notch. Still, he wasn't about to give away anything more than she had. "Well, I agreed to this to help her out."

"She can be persuasive, can't she?" the King asked leaning in conspiratorially towards Solo as if to warrant some information that way.

"Right," Han said in a rather patronizing tone of voice. Who did this guy think he was dealing with? Han stared him down pointedly, "What you really want to know is if your little potion did the trick."

The King held his glass up in salute and nodded his head before taking a sip.

"Look, I'm just helping her out of a tight spot as a friend. That's it. End of story," Han said in brusque defense, crossing his arms and throwing one ankle onto the opposite knee.

King Antropo sat back stroking his silver beard with a thumb and forefinger, considering Han's answer. His entire answer, not just the words he spoke, but his body language, tone, and expression. The King wasn't a stupid man either. He could see there was much more to what Solo was saying. However, he also realized that he needed Solo right now.

"Well, then, if that's the case, I thank you for what you are doing for us. I will have the dissolution decree ready to be approved by you. Then you can file it with the Minister of Records before you leave. It will not imply any wrongdoing on either of your parts, so you needn't worry."

"Who's worried?" Han asked, before downing the rest of his drink in one gulp. It was very smooth liquor, he had to admit.

"Would you like another?" the King offered.

Solo shook his head, really just wanting to get out of there. He placed the glass on the table and stood up, "Thanks for the drink, but I guess I better start getting ready for this little party of yours."

"You'll find your assistant waiting outside." The King rose, "And Solo?"

Han turned around before reaching the door, "Yeah?"

"You and Leia have a few things in common. She cares more than she lets on," the King grinned.

Han didn't answer. He just turned on his boot heel and strode outside to meet this assistant he was already dreading dealing with.


	7. Chapter 7 : Force Yourself

Okay, last chapter was a little short, but it was transitional. So, you want more H/L interaction? You are gonna like this chapter. Trust me. I know. Thanksfor reading and reviewing! I truly do appreciate it! But you _know_ that, right?

Chapter 7: Force Yourself

At the appointed time, Princess Leia Organa and Captain Han Solo waited anxiously outside the banquet hall door to be announced to the waiting dinner guests. Leia was rather nervous for some reason that she couldn't quite grasp.

Noticing her trepidation as she stood next to him, Han was puzzled by it. This was her natural arena. Why would she be worried? He answered his own question with the next thought. Obviously, she never had expected to be introduced as the betrothed of Captain Solo and the next reigning queen on this system or any other system. She had thought this life was behind her and maybe she was a little afraid she could pull it all off.

Bending his head down towards her, he whispered out of the side of his mouth in familiar brand of teasing mixed with optimism, hoping to distract her a little, "Relax, Sweetheart. It's only a dinner."

"I know," Leia said staunchly in a clipped tone, standing stock-still. Of their own volition, her fingers searched out his hand and squeezed. Not willing to acknowledge the action, she stared straight ahead, listening to the introduction in the banquet hall.

Han could feel her light trembling as he held her small fingers. Squeezing her hand back, he then moved it up to the crook of his arm. "You'll do fine," he whispered. "Just be a princess. I know that you know how to do that," he smirked.

With that bit of silliness, her tension was dispelled some and they stepped through the opening doors and into the stately festivities.

Through the applause, Han led her to the designated seats with more pride than he realized. It felt good to have her on his arm. Here he was, as far from royalty as one could get and he was leading a beautiful Princess through a room of royal dignitaries as her intended lifemate. If only Chewie could see him now. He had done some crazy things in his time, but this had to be one of his more unbelievable experiences.

Solo did his best not to let her down. He was in this now and it would be stupid to screw it up. He tried to say as little as possible, allowing Leia take the lead. After settling in, she definitely was in her element, conversing easily and regally with the guests. He had to admire Her Worshipfulness; she did have this royalty business down to an art. Surprisingly, it was actually fascinating to watch her in action. For all of his teasing of her regal status, Han had never had the chance to see her in full Princess mode before up close. Leia wore it well. That part didn't surprise him at all, though.

Someone off to the right woke Han's reverie by asking him how they met. Solo hesitated for a moment, "Well, I guess you could say …our paths crossed accidentally." He was careful to use his best Basic, so as not to bring on any more questions about his background than necessary.

"Han was helping me with a project and we came to know each other," the Princess added, glancing at Han meaningfully as if to silently get their story straight. They should have talked about this before, but hadn't had much of a chance. They hadn't seen each other since their meeting with King Antropo.

"Oh, so it wasn't love at first sight then?" another dignitary seated across Solo inquired. By now, everyone nearby had quieted down, hoping to hear the story.

Hesitatingly, Leia looked to Han, trying not to blush, but Solo covered smoothly. "I can't answer for the Princess, but I know I was swept away," he smiled, covering Leia's hand where it was lying on the table.

The women at the table could be heard audibly sighing at the sheer romance of it all.

"If I may be so bold, I can easily see why," the man ventured.

"Yes, she is quite beautiful," Han rumbled earnestly, staring directly at Leia. For good measure, he picked her hand up off the table and softly kissed her bent fingers. Leia's eyes widened ever so slightly and Han secretly delighted in her reaction. "But there is much more to her than that. She is the strongest, most determined person I know." Solo turned to face the man now. "A natural leader," he added pointedly.

"I agree wholeheartedly," King Antropo interjected, taking the opportunity to steer the discussion away from Han and Leia's relationship. "Her leadership will be of great value to all of us."

Thankfully, the conversation easily switched back to the political topics currently facing the royal court. Unfortunately, Princess Leia was having trouble concentrating on the exchange. Logically, she knew Han was playing his part, yet he seemed so sincere that even she was almost convinced. Han's lips had felt so electric against the back of her hand that she was having even more trouble ignoring the tingling sensation that lingered there even now.

What seemed to Han like years later, the dinner finally came to an end. Solo walked the Princess back to her room, for appearance's sake, of course. Once they were in the corridor leading to the palace's private guest chambers, Han decided to risk talking to her. Leia had been uncharacteristically quiet ever since they left the banquet hall and Han thought maybe she was more than just tired.

He slipped back into his distinctive Corellian accent, "So, Sweetheart, how'd ya' think it went?"

Leia was hesitant to answer, afraid of what she might unwittingly say. Since they had left the dining room, she wanted to blurt out: _Did you mean anything back there or was it all just an act?_ So instead of taking the risk, she had simply remained silent.

Knowing she had to say something soon, Leia focused on his question. "I think it went well. They seem relieved in a way that things will continue rather normally regarding the royal leadership."

They arrived at the door to her guest rooms. Han crossed his arms and leaned against the wall next to the doorway as it slid open. He tried to keep his tone casual, "And how're you doin'?"

Leia squinted a moment in confusion. Hadn't she just answered that question? "I think they bought it," she said in a slowed down deliberate fashion as if talking to someone still learning Basic. "I didn't get the feeling anyone was suspicious or worried about me assuming the crown."

Han smiled gently, "That's not what I meant. I mean, how are _you_ doin'?"

"Me? Personally?" She clarified as her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, you. Personally." Han reached out and tapped his forefinger under her chin for emphasis.

Leia blinked and blushed, in that order. "I- I'm fine," she stammered, taken aback by his concern and his sudden touch that again left her skin tingling. She wondered if he had any idea of how his touch affected her. Considering how often he had been touching her since last night at the Garden Palace, he might know. Of course, there was the interesting possibility that he felt it, too. She couldn't think about that right now.

Han waited, saying no more, possibly waiting for her to explain further when Leia decided it was time to make her getaway. "Well, good night," she said quietly, turning to go inside.

"Hey, wait second."

Turning back without meeting his eyes, Leia waited for him to finish.

"Aren't you going to kiss me good night?" Han asked expectantly.

Leia nearly answered: _I wasn't planning on it_. She stopped herself because something somewhere deep inside knew it wasn't true. Thank the Force, another answer came to mind quickly. Any hesitation may have given him cause to believe she wanted to kiss him; kiss him and make it count. "No one is here. It isn't necessary."

"Just because you can't see 'em, doesn't mean there isn't someone watching, Sweetheart. Don't you think security is monitoring this hallway?"

Why hadn't she thought of that? She knew better than that. The Princess silently berated herself for letting her guard down. She had to stop thinking about Solo like this. It was affecting her judgment in too many ways, albeit small ones. Nevertheless, Leia did not like it. She knew he was right. If they were to maintain the façade of being engaged, they couldn't take the chance if someone thinking otherwise.

"Okay, fine." She stood rigidly still and waited, forcing herself not to enjoy the idea.

Trying to contain his delight at her acquiescence, Han's eyes never left hers as he slowly leaned down toward her lips. He could see that she was fighting her emotions. Even so, Han thought her eyes were the most beautiful, soulful brown he had ever seen. It reminded him of how much he genuinely cared about her.

Suddenly, the idea of kissing her like this wasn't as appealing as it sounded a minute ago. He didn't want her to be stiff or just doing it for the benefit of appearances. When they had to, fine, but there was another way out for now. Veering up, he kissed her softly on the forehead. Without looking at her again, he left with his 'G'night, Princess' echoing in her ears.

Confusion registered in her eyes now. Han Solo, enigma. Leia doubted she would ever truly figure him out. It didn't matter really; it wouldn't change how she felt about him. And how she did feel was something she was alternately denying and embracing. However, all she could think of over and over for the moment was how warm and wonderful his lips had felt on her forehead. Shaking her head in a vain attempt to clear it, she walked inside.

As Leia changed and readied for bed, she checked the time. It was late. The ridiculous elixir should have worn off hours ago. There was never any mention of permanent effects. She sighed as she climbed into bed. Why couldn't she get Han off of her mind? Sure, she had found him attractive and intriguing right from the start. She surmised that most women probably thought the same thing about Han Solo; tall, handsome, mysterious men tended to have that effect. And yet, the more she fought it, the more she fell secretly in love with him each day.

Leia squeezed her eyes shut and drew the covers up around her shoulders. She had to stop this. She had to keep her focus on what was important. After all, this bonding was nothing personal. She was bonding with Han because she _had_ to, not because she _wanted _to. A quiet little voice whispered in her head, _Would it really be so bad to want to?_

She told the voice to shut up, rolled over and went to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Some Rescue

Ok, it's Friday and here we go... I really am very excited to see the reviews and to see all of you reading. It's very kind of all of you... Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Some Rescue

The next day was filled with appointments of all kinds. Putting together a royal bonding ceremony and coronation in a couple of days was no small feat. The palace was filled with beings scurrying around taking care of this and that. Since they had both started early, Solo and Princess Leia had not seen each other all day. Their minds were inescapably occupied with each other, however. As discreet as the bonding planners and helpers were, they couldn't stop themselves from commenting on the excitement and romance of upcoming events or how the Han and Leia were completely suited for each other. To Han, they repeatedly pointed out Leia's beauty and how in love she seemed to be. Leia was told in quiet asides how handsome Han was and they all wished for someone as romantic.

In the late afternoon, Leia was expected to attend a small, informal get-together for the ladies of the royal court. Their gentlemen counterparts would join an hour or so later, after their own gathering was finished.

For his part, Han had a surprisingly good time. He made a point to talk to each of the men present to get a feel for their loyalties. Outside of the formal surroundings of the night before, Solo found them to be an unassuming group - for a bunch of royals, that is. They were not necessarily people he would choose as drinking buddies, but they were not as irritating as he would have guessed either.

Also, Han found out that they were very loyal to the head family and their system, indeed. A few drinks and stories later, Solo felt more assured that Leia's relative safety would remain intact as King Antropo had promised.

On the other hand, Leia was not exactly enjoying herself. She normally held disdain for these types of get-togethers. Usually, a full-blown gossipfest was all that ever seemed to happen. Unfortunately, this one was no different. While the Princess knew the intrinsic value of gossip, she held little regard for the time spent on it. And this time it was much worse, since the centerpiece of that gossip was Han and herself. The women had a million questions and comments, seemingly all at once. Leia did her best to be vague or sidestep the questions entirely, claiming modesty. Still, she knew she would have to answer some directly or there would be no end and suspicion might be raised.

The women weren't about to be deterred either. Lady Devvka was determined to get some answers and decided to take the direct route. "We heard the official version last night at dinner. Come on, Princess, there must be more. Tell us," came the plea that Leia knew was a thinly veiled demand.

Taking a deep breath, Leia promised herself to say only what she had to. "Honestly, that's how it happened. We met quite by accident. I looked up and he was there."

"I should say so. I know I couldn't miss a gorgeous man like that," Lady Museraa said with just a touch of jealously. "Where is he from?"

"He's Corellian," the Princess answered casually. Although Han could blend in on just about any planet, it wouldn't be hard to find that out, she supposed.

"Ooh, no wonder he is so good looking. Corellian men are known for that," Lady Yoontan knowingly admired. The others made a show of agreeing wholeheartedly.

Princess Leia had to smile inwardly. Actually, it was nice to hear the women clamoring on about Han and he was all hers. _Easy, Leia, he's not yours, _ she reminded herself.

"But when did you two fall in love?" Lady Museraa asked and everyone went silent, waiting anxiously for the answer.

Leia just plastered a patient look on her face that she hoped didn't look overly patronizing while considering her answer.

Lady Devvka piped up in the meantime, "At first sight. It had to be at first sight. How could it not have been? Am I right, Princess?"

Unable to suppress a small genuine smile, Leia considered that she might as well tell them what they wanted to hear. The truth of the matter was not important here anyway, plus it might cease these unbearable questions a little faster. "I suppose you could say that. Although, we were rather caught up in the business at hand at the time."

When they saw that was all they were going to get in way of an answer, Lady Yoontan had another question at the ready, "We know he is certainly handsome and charming, but tell us what he's really like."

"Well…" Several words came to mind immediately: arrogant, irritating, incorrigible, all-around scoundrel. Then an opposing set followed right behind: loyal to his friends, good-hearted… funny… intoxicating.

While Leia was mulling over her options, the men came in totally unnoticed by the rapt group. Solo halted the men and shushed them, seeing Princess Leia at the center of the group looking obviously uneasy - obvious only to someone who had spent considerable time around her the last few years, otherwise she presented a front of cool control. Han had caught enough of the question to be anxious to hear what the Princess had to say. Seeing that she was stalling he decided to help her along. Mischievously, he came up behind her and lay his hands gently onto her shoulders. "Princess."

Feeling the strong warmth of the touch, Leia turned around and relief spread across her face. "Han."

Fully aware of her discomfort from the tension in her shoulders, Solo wasn't about to get her out of this predicament just yet. "Don't let me interrupt you, Princess. I think these ladies are waiting for your answer about my excellent qualities," he grinned innocently, gesturing to the women smiling behind her whom all were enjoying the way the couple was obviously affected by each other's presence.

Was she supposed to wax poetic about him while he stood there with his already inflated ego? Leia shot him a vicious glance before turning back around to face the group.

"Well as you can see, Captain Solo is quite the charmer and possesses incredible timing," she said with just enough sarcasm so the women would share her double-meaning.

That drew a good laugh from all within hearing range and Han's face dropped slightly at her barely affable answer.

"Now ladies, if you don't mind, I need to speak with Princess Leia for a moment before we eat. So, if you'll excuse us?" Han smiled, softly sliding a hand down Leia's back and leading her off to the side.

"I'll get you for that, Solo," she whispered, her voice full of revenge, while keeping a neutral look on her face, so as not to arouse any speculation of a tiff.

"Nice thanks I get for rescuing you from them," Han intoned indignantly.

"That was some rescue," Leia shot back.

"Yeah? Well, lucky for me there aren't any trash chutes nearby," Han quipped.

Leia couldn't help glaring at him, gossip be damned. "Don't you think we should get back to the party?" Without waiting for an answer, she quickly spun on her heel and walked back to the group as they were sitting down to eat.

Han followed a second later, amused by it all. He always got a kick out of annoying Leia whenever the chance presented itself. Too bad he couldn't have had a more informative answer, though.

Thankfully, the rest of the time was filled with inconsequential small talk. Leia and Han excused themselves early, claiming the myriad of things still left to do. Being the honored guests, this allowed the rest of the attendees free to go as well. The Princess took Han's arm quite naturally, leading the group as everyone took their leave.


	9. Chapter 9: Bonding Present

Ok, so it's almost Friday and it was a short chapter last time. How about a longer chapter and a little early this time? I hope you like this one. Thank you as always for reading and especially for any reviews or pm's that you send me. It's fun getting to know the readers [and writers] here.

Chapter 9: Bonding Present

Enjoying the way Leia's small hand lightly gripped his bicep, Han was less inclined to let her go for the evening. He hadn't seen her all day and, well, he missed her.

Once out of earshot of the others, Solo leaned down towards her ear and whispered hopefully, "How 'bout a drink, Sweetheart?"

Leia was weary from the long day and thinking about the next one made her even more so, but she wouldn't mind a few quiet moments alone with Han. She wanted to thank him again for agreeing to this whole mess before the bonding ceremony and coronation. Knowing how busy tomorrow promised to be, Leia wasn't sure there would be time before the big event. At least, this was the reason she gave herself.

"Okay, maybe one."

Instantly turning on his heel, Han lithely ran back and absconded with a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses from a passing droid in charge of drinks at the party. They made their way to her rooms and settled in the outer lounge area as Han poured the drinks.

He handed a glass to Leia. They shared a wry smile as they clinked glasses and each took a sip. "How are you holding up?"

The Princess sighed, "As well as can be expected. How did it go at your end?"

Solo pursed his lips, "Not bad, actually. They're not such a bad bunch and they do seem pretty loyal to the King. So, we should be alright. How'd it go with the women?"

Leia shook her head and closed her eyes in exasperation of her experience, "True to form. They had a string of questions about us."

He perked up at that. "Oh yeah? What'd you tell them?"

"Pretty much what we said yesterday. That we met basically by chance. From there, they led themselves into believing it was love at first sight," she groaned half-mockingly.

"Love at first sight, huh?" Han raised his eyebrows and his voice a notch in challenge. _That would be about right, anyway. Wouldn't it, Sweetheart?_ He stared into her eyes intently, waiting for an answer.

Feeling suddenly shaky from the weight of his stare, Leia willed herself not to react. She knew she had to redirect the conversation fast. The only topic she could think of was Han himself, although she knew that would work just fine. Solo always enjoyed talking about how women loved him.

"They were very interested in you," she goaded with just the right amount of mystery to her tone.

"Of course," Han replied smugly, exactly as the Princess knew he would. "Obviously, they're all in love with me."

Leia breathed a quiet sigh of relief. For such an unpredictable man, Captain Solo could be very predictable on certain subjects.

"If you're waiting for me to confirm that, you're out of luck. I'm not about to feed that Wookiee-sized ego of yours," she warned him caustically. Then she smiled, seeing a rare opportunity coming about, "Besides, I just told them what I actually know about you."

"Which is?" Han asked, openly leading her to the information he wanted to know.

She shrugged, "That you're Corellian." Little did Solo realize that he was falling straight into the Princess's carefully laid trap.

"Aanndd?" Han pushed.

"Well, that _is_ all I know," she said innocently, taking another sip.

"How can you say that? You've known me for almost three years," he balked defensively, now getting the feeling where she was heading with this. "You've even been there when I've told some of the more interesting stories about me and Chewie." Solo wasn't sure why he had risen to the bait, but he had. Maybe he wanted Leia to feel like she knew him.

"But you've hardly ever said anything about what you did before Chewie. And don't think the same few stories you've let out over the years qualifies as background," Leia countered decisively. She was not going to let this opportunity pass by that easily.

"Hey, Sweetheart, I'm pretty much the same now as back then, only older. I'm a 'what you see is what you get' kind of guy," He grinned with wide eyes, spreading his arms expansively in an open gesture.

Leia smirked knowingly. How could he think she would go for that? "I might believe that about Luke, but not you, Captain."

He sighed. Han knew she would see right through that, but he had needed to buy some time to decide what to do. He loved her. That was exactly why he didn't want to associate his harsh past with his relatively promising present. By the same token, if he loved her, didn't she deserve to know about him? How could he ever have any hope of winning her over if he stayed mute on the subject?

"All right, Sweetheart. I'll tell you what. I'll give you a bonding present: I will answer one question of your choosing…" He wagged a finger warningly, "within reason."

"And I didn't get you anything," Leia quipped sardonically. A myriad of questions came to mind. There were so many things she wanted to know. What happened to his family? Where did he learn to be a pilot? How in the galaxy had he earned the coveted Corellian Bloodstripe? What did it feel like to kiss his lips?

"Well, okay, if you don't like that offer, then we can forget it," Han challenged, draining the last bit of his glass and refilling it. He knew she wouldn't turn down this chance and he had a feeling he was going to need another drink.

"Just give me second, Solo." As she mused over the possibilities, she tried to rank them in order of what she wanted to know the most – not including the more… private… ones on her part. All right, it was decided. Interestingly enough, it wasn't a question from his missing past that kept returning to her, but one that she had continually been asking herself for almost three years. The same question she had asked him the night before, as a matter of fact.

"Okay… I want to know exactly why you haven't left the Alliance to pay off your debt to Jabba… yet." She had to add the 'yet,' more as a reminder to herself that he did plan on leaving eventually and to remember to tread carefully where her heart was concerned. "And don't tell me you were hiding out from Jabba either. I want the real reason."

Interesting choice of questions. He could swear she was hoping for him to say he stayed for her. Of course it was for her. It had always been for her. When he came back during the Battle of Yavin, it wasn't Luke standing on the moon with Rebel base that was about to be blown to bits. It was her. She was incredibly intelligent and quick, how had she not put that together by now? Unless she did and… well, here they were.

His gaze became pointed as he leaned close to her, intentionally whispering, his voice enveloping her like a soft slow kiss, "You know the real reason already, don't you, Sweetheart?"

Leia's breath openly caught at his words, "I- I don't."

She seemed to take his meaning, but obviously was stopping herself from opening up to the idea. Deciding not to push her any further, he straightened up and added more lightly, "I had to stick around and make sure the kid didn't get himself killed over the 'Cause'."

Having regained her more of her composure, Leia shot back, "Luke's been a seasoned pilot for some time now, Han. That doesn't answer the question."

Downing all of his freshened drink in one gulp, Han became increasingly uncomfortable that he was losing control of the situation. He didn't want to tell her the whole truth tonight. First, he needed her to admit to herself that she had strong feelings for him. Otherwise, he knew he could lose her to her stubbornness and the fact that she buried her feelings instead of dealing with them head on. From what he could tell, the feelings that scared her the most were the ones that she refused to acknowledge. While her public empathy and compassion knew no bounds, the overwhelming personal emotions like grief or romantic love were hidden, even from herself.

"What can I say? You've been keepin' me busy on a regular basis with my amazing rescues of Alderaanian royalty," Solo quickly quipped without thinking it through.

He had hit the right button to shut down the questioning by reminding Leia of her original reason for agreeing to have a drink with him. Alderaan burdened her mind once again. It was never far, even after this much time had passed.

Sometimes, when she was with Han that pain eased a little. She would be so distracted by their verbal battles or her own pathetic obsession with his attractiveness that she could forget for a little while. Of course, then something would happen to end that reprieve.

She didn't know if he realized that every time he brought up rescuing her in any capacity, a part of her threatened to bring up those all too painful memories. As it was, she was surprised that she didn't think about it every time she looked at him considering how they met. Yet, that hadn't happened - not with Luke, Chewie, or Han. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It was being with that select group of beings where she found the little solace she was able to muster from the ruins of Alderaan.

Her demeanor softened, but before she could say anything, Solo was on his feet.

"I think it's time for some shuteye. Big day tomorrow. We're gettin' lifemate bonded and you're becoming a Queen, Your Worshipfulness," he teased with a wink, his crooked grin now gracing his lips.

Absently, Leia stood and followed him to the door. "Terrific, I wonder what new names you'll come up with for that."

"I wouldn't worry 'bout that, the classics are always best," Han assured her good-naturedly in his typical, tormenting fashion.

She had to chuckle in spite of herself on that one. Solo reached for the door controls, but Leia stopped him. "Han…"

He dropped his hand and looked down at her suddenly serious face. With a questioning look, Solo waited for her to explain.

The Princess placed a tentative hand on his arm to emphasize the sincerity of her coming words. "I wanted to thank you again for doing this. I don't know what changed your mind, but I am grateful for all of your help." Leia hoped she had conveyed everything she wanted to with that. She wished she could find the courage to tell Han how much it meant to her that he was going along with it all with minimal complaint as well as being someone she could lean on, too.

Solo nodded and adopted his previous demeanor from before when she had asked him why he had stayed. His entire being echoed the earlier response of pure attraction. "You already know the answer to that, too, Sweetheart," came the rumbled whisper. Han leaned down and affectionately kissed Leia's cheek. Palming the door open, he grasped her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. Turning, he left without another word.

Leia was left trembling in his wake and didn't even notice that he had kissed her inside her guest quarters where no one could have seen them. He had made his reaction clear and unmistakable. There was no denying the meaning behind the affirmation, especially coupled with the first time he said it. It was now plain that behind Han's roguish façade, his feelings for her went well beyond a friendship. Possibly the same ones Leia felt for him. And here they were getting bonded tomorrow in a ceremony that was feeling more real by the second…

Except, it wasn't.

Tomorrow, they would stand up to declare their love openly, binding them to each other, she would be crowned, and then their bond would be dissolved before they left the next day. Surreal was the only word the Princess could find to describe it all. Her mind reeled. How was she going to get through it all?

It's fun, right?


	10. Chapter 10: Almost There

Ok, you didn't think I would forget that it's Friday, did you? I really like this chapter and I hope you do, too!

Chapter 10: Almost there…

Leia was jarred awake to the sound of her door chiming insistently. Grabbing her robe lying next to the bed, she threw it on as she hurried to the outer chamber to see who it was. Briefly, she wondered what time it was and wished she had checked the chrono on the way. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Sweetheart. Open up," Han called back from the other side.

Leia released the lock and the door slid open. Han stood there with what she thought was a rather relieved expression on his face.

"What do you want, Han?" Leia inquired more sharply than she had intended. She pulled her robe a little tighter and ran a hand over her hair in an attempt to smooth it down. Leia knew she definitely looked worse for wear right now. Thinking about everything facing her, she had tossed and turned all night.

Han's expression changed to his more familiar mask, "What's the matter, Your Worship? Nervous about gettin' bonded to the most handsome pilot in the galaxy?"

"Funny, I thought I was bonding with you," she shot back, her mood now beginning to match her tone. "Did you want something?"

Actually, Han had wanted to see her before the ceremonies, but lacked an excuse. When he ran into her attendant searching for her, he conveniently volunteered to check her guest quarters. He had a good feeling that he might find her there hiding out. He was concerned about her. The bonding aside, she was undertaking the responsibility for an entire system's welfare. Even if it was in name only for the time being, there was a very real possibility that she would preside over the throne as an active ruler at some point. He knew that Alderaan had to be onerously influencing her stress level. She was the strongest being Han had ever encountered, but she was still human. Judging by her drained appearance, he was right about how she was dealing with it. A surge of protectiveness raced through him. He ached to gather her up into his arms, kiss her, stroke her back and tell her everything was going to be all right, that he was there for her.

Solo stepped past her, allowing the door to slide closed behind him. "Your assistant is goin' crazy lookin' for you. What's the matter?"

"I must have forgotten to set the alarm," she dismissed, watching him walk right in as if she had invited him. It was true, she had forgotten to turn it on. When she first went to bed, her mind had been in overdrive thinking about her feelings for Han. As the sleepless night wore on, thoughts of Alderaan crept in and set up camp. After that, sleep had been next to impossible until the wee hours when she must have finally dropped off. "Han, you have to go."

Han knew that Leia was nothing if not punctual and responsible. She wouldn't just forget, especially not for something as important as the impending events of the day. He was determined not to let her try to this write off as if it didn't matter. "Tell me what's goin' on."

"I told you. I overslept," the visibly fatigued Princess insisted.

He softly traced the curve under Leia's eye with the tip of his finger, "Then why does it look like you didn't sleep at all?"

Solo wanted to convince himself it was something more easily handled, that it was only the idea that she was bonding with him that was bothering her and ignore the rest of the logical reasons, but that was only a wistful wish.

"This isn't about the bonding, is it?" Solo pushed.

Leia couldn't think about that at the moment. She shook her head, but said nothing.

His voice became gentle, "Then what is it?" When she still didn't answer, he knew he would have to be the one to say it. Han grimaced, "Alderaan."

As he said the name, tears instantly welled up in Leia's eyes and she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop them from falling. Trained to control her emotions, Leia was not one to openly cry, but she was just too weary from the building burden and sleepless night. Once Han had spoken the word, her resolve to hold it inside failed.

Han had only seen Leia break down once in all of the time he had known her. And that was not long after the Death Star had obliterated Alderaan. He had held her that night and she had cried in his arms. After that, they never spoke of the incident again. Han never told anyone what had happened, not even Chewie. He had been there for Leia then and he was here for her now. Maybe that was why she was able to let the overwhelming feelings go in front of him. Leia trusted him then. And now, she needed him.

The Princess turned away and pressed fists to her eyes, covering her pain-filled features as the silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Han stepped up close behind her and wrapped his arms around the front of her shoulders, crossing over her forearms that she held against the front of her body like a shield. Easing her back to lean into his protective embrace, he whispered soft, encouraging words into her ear, "It's alright, Leia. Everything'll be okay. You'll get through this."

His presence felt so strong surrounding her like an anchoring oasis in a sea of chaos. Leia wanted to turn around, bury herself deeply into his strength and never again leave the safety of his arms. Here she didn't have to be strong because Han was strong for her.

As he whispered the reassuring words, Leia believed him. Secretly, she always believed him whenever he reassured her. Valiantly, she worked to regain her composure, hating herself for losing it in the first place. Breaking away from his embrace, she swiped at her tear-streaked cheeks with her palms.

"I'm okay," the Princess half-croaked, trying to find her voice. She took a deep cleansing breath, washing away the last traces of her episode. Without facing him, she apologized, "I'm sorry."

Solo tugged on her arm until she faced him and tried to lighten the mood. "Hey, there's nothin' to be sorry about. I hear all princesses cry on their bonding day," his baritone voice simultaneously soothed and taunted.

"I thought you knew. I'm not like most princesses," she rejoined, forcibly finding her good humor again.

Han groaned mockingly and rolled his eyes dramatically, "Don't remind me, Sweetheart."

"And what is that supposed to mean, Flyboy?" She narrowed her eyes. Okay, maybe not her _good_ humor.

Donning his normal demeanor for their more familiar banter, Han appeared the essence of nonchalant cynicism. Underneath, he was relieved though. If she were getting all riled up, then she must be feeling more like her old self.

"It means, Your Worship, that you're not like any princess _I've_ ever come across," Solo appraised in a way that seemed to imply that he had some personal experience in the matter.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Leia raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And how many princesses have you '_come across_,' exactly?"

Immediately, Leia questioned her sanity wondering why that question came out of her mouth. In fact, she doubted it was something she really wanted to know at all. She resolved to be more careful when she was this tired, especially around Solo. First, she oversleeps, then she breaks down crying in front of him and now she is asking questions that make her sound like a jealous mate.

Needing to divert her Solo thought fast, "Jealous?"

"Hardly," Leia retorted, closing her eyes momentarily and looking away in frustration.

Seeing that he hit a soft spot, Han continued without thinking and full speed ahead. "Ya' know what I think?" He didn't wait for her to answer, "I think you wish this bonding was the real thing."

Only after he proclaimed it aloud did he stop to think. He didn't know why he had to go and proclaim it out loud, but he did. Sure, he wanted to know, but he hadn't planned on saying anything about it. Now, he had done it stupidly, without thinking, and she was sure to react negatively. Still, since he knew Leia's negative reactions all too well, this could turn out to be almost as informative.

"What?!" She gaped in studied disbelief. Her defense came loud, fast and furious, "Solo, that is one your most arrogant delusions yet!"

Maybe a part of her agreed, but there was no way on this side of the known galaxy that she would ever tell him. Never. She wasn't even happy about admitting it to herself. "Now get out, so I can get ready," she ordered with finality.

Han's smug grin was spread from ear-to-ear. He knew the more she protested, the closer he was to the mark. "Whatever you say, Your Worship," he sing-songed as he turned around and left.

The Princess looked around for something to throw at him and his arrogance, but, unfortunately, nothing that would be satisfying was handy. She settled for soundly slapping the locking mechanism on the side of the door. One of these days, she was going to have to kill him, that's all there was to it. Kill him or kiss him. Either way, it promised to be a showdown.

!* * *

Leia was perched in a raised chair while the wedding attendant styled her hair for the ceremonies. She stifled a yawn. While it was nearing afternoon, Leia was already prematurely exhausted from loss of sleep the night before. As the skilled attendant brushed her long hair rhythmically, Leia drifted off in to a light doze. It felt so good to relax, if only for a moment or two…

Han burst into the room as the finishing touches of makeup were being applied to her face. Her hair was unbrushed and pulled back in large clips waiting its turn for attention. The ceremony not due to begin for another hour, Leia was still wearing the simple white robe.

"I changed my mind," Han said resolutely to her image in the mirror.

With a warning glare at Solo, Leia turned to her attendant. "Will you give us a moment, please?" The confused attendant looked from the Princess to Solo, bowed and left. The Leia turned to face a determined Solo. "What were you thinking? What if she figures something out?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, Leia," Han said steadily.

"What are you talking about? What's the problem?" The Princess was uncertain what was he was doing here at all. She did notice he used her given name for once and she also noticed how much she liked it.

"I can't do it this way," Han burst out. Taking a breath, his voice softened, "Not with you."

Leia turned away to watch him in the mirror again. "Han, we've been through this. You know how important this is," she argued back to Han's reflection, not wanting to hear what he was saying, not wanting to understand. Denial of his intent was her only defense against her emotions that threatened to go out of control.

Solo stepped between the mirror and her chair to face. "Leia, I can't bond with you and have it be phony. If that's the way it is, get somebody else," he affirmed, pointing his finger at her. bogus

No, she refused to admit where he was going with this. There were more important things at stake. "There isn't time."

"I don't care. This isn't about anybody, except you and me." Solo placed his hands on the arms of the chair, effectively caging her in and forcing her to focus on him and his words. Han leaned down until his face was a mere few centims from hers, his intense hazel eyes staring straight into her. "I love you, Leia. And I know you love me, too."

Unable to speak, Leia just gaped at the handsome smuggler and tried to process his words. He loved her?! And he _knew_ that she loved him?!

Han laid out the ultimatum in no uncertain terms. It sounded somewhat practiced, but he still stammered a bit at first, "Leia… I'd be honored…" His eyes sparkled, "…thrilled, Sweetheart… to bond with you, but I'll only bond with you today on one condition: that it's authentic."

Leia's heart sang with sheer joy, but she couldn't answer him. This could not happen. She was way too frightened to cope with the ramifications of allowing anything like this into her life. Leia's automatic fallback answer regarding her feelings eventually found its way to her voice. It was the same answer that she used on herself time and time again whenever her thoughts strayed too far in the wrong direction. "Han, I can't afford to let a personal relationship interfere with the Rebellion."

Han appeared at the ready to answer to that. "Nobody's askin' you to give up the Rebellion, but the choice is yours." Solo shook his head with his grin sliding up the side of his face, "It's all or nothing, Sweetheart. I'll be waitin' at the end of the aisle. If you meet me there, I'll know your answer." With that, Han straightened up and walked out without a backward glance.

Leia sat stone still. Her eyes squeezed shut against the galaxy. Sinking deeply into her chair, she wanted to disappear and never be found. She couldn't deal with this now….

"Princess Organa?" The attendant called softly again, "Princess? Princess Organa?"

Heart pounding, Leia's eyes snapped open and focused on a new voice calling her name. "Yes?"

"I'm finished with your hair and makeup. Would you like anything before you put your gown on?"

Finished? Straightening up from her slumped position, Leia looked into the mirror in front of her. Indeed, she was finished. But how did that happen? When Han had come in not even her makeup had been finished and her hair had still been in need of brushing and styling. The Princess didn't recall her attendant coming back in and Han had only left moments ago, hadn't he? "How long until the ceremony is scheduled to begin?" Leia asked, still hazy about what had just happened.

"About twenty minutes, Princess Organa," the attendant said, checking her chrono. "I'm sorry I had to wake you from your nap, but if you needed anything there wouldn't be time if I had waited any longer."

A dream! It had been a dream. Han had never been there at all; she only dreamt it. Before allowing relief to set in, she had to be sure. This was too important not to double-check. "Have I been asleep the whole time? Did anyone come in to see me?"

"I would guess you fell asleep about halfway through brushing your hair out. No one has come in, Your Highness." The attendant hesitated, but again asked, "Is there anything you require?"

"No, thank you," Leia said with a relieved smile, stepping down from the chair. "Let's put the gown on. There isn't much time."


	11. Chapter 11: Zero Hour

Ok, since someone who shall be nameless is being ever so slightly... shall we say... 'impatient' ... an update a wee bit early. Thank you for reading and for the 'followers'! I am so pleasantly surprised by it all. Awesome!

Chapter 11: Zero Hour

'_Zero hour_,' Han thought as he stood nervously on atop the dais and tugged at his collar. The great hall where the ceremony was about to take place reminded him of Yavin IV. However, this time, he was the one who would be watching Leia walk down the long aisle to him. Solo remembered how awkward and nervous he had felt walking that drawn out strip to the dais that day, although he had done his best to appear as if he were taking it all in stride. Leia had been what he could only describe to this day as an exquisite angelic vision waiting for them at the top of the steps to reward them with hero's medals. Han smiled resignedly to himself, admitting his feelings he held deep within. He had loved her even then, ever since he first saw her as a matter of fact. It was a feeling almost impossible for him to put words to, but Leia made him feel like no other woman.

Releasing a sigh of tension, he wished Chewie and Luke were here to see this. The big Wookiee would probably be making smart remarks the whole time, but at least it would've kept Solo's mind off the fact that he secretly wished this bonding wasn't all a charade. As much as he told himself to forget about the whole idea of Leia and him, Han couldn't. For almost three years, he had been around this woman. For that whole time, they excelled at aggravating each other one minute and trading secretly passionate melting glances the next. The former having been in the fashion of boisterous arguments and the latter having never been referred to out loud. Princess Leia was the most confusing woman he had ever known and that fact only served to intrigue Han all the more. He would love to pull her close and kiss her, just once, to see what would happen.

That's when it hit him. The kiss. His assistant had briefly mentioned it when going over the details of the wedding portion of the ceremony, but Han had only been half listening by then. He would be expected to kiss her as was customary of royal weddings in this system. It had something to do with signifying the loyalties of the two people and their respective families and ensuing connections. How was he going to handle that? He wondered if Leia realized it would be happening. She hadn't mentioned anything. Then again, Han wasn't surprised at that. Leia wouldn't face her feelings for him before and she was not about to discuss kissing him again. The first time, he had barely persuaded her to agree to do it for security's sake. Thoughts of how her lips would feel against his rushed through his mind. Those inviting lips that Han loved to watch simply entranced him.

Solo settled himself down. This whole business was a big deal for Leia and he couldn't blow it now by flustering the hell out of them both minutes before she was to be crowned. She would kill him if he did that. Not that he was afraid of infuriating her – he certainly had a lot of practice in the past with that – but he said he would do this for her and when Leia had thanked him, she had been so sincere that Han immediately felt like he would happily do almost anything just to make her look at him like that again. As tempting as it was to take advantage of this situation where he could freely kiss her and get away with it, Solo decided that he would hold back and see this through to the end. He would do what his instincts told him was right when the time came, that's all. Anxiously, Han hoped his instincts knew were what they were doing.

The lilting music changed and the huge doors at the rear entrance opened. Then, as if blown in gently by the breeze, a flowing figure in dazzling, glimmering white drifted through the doorway. Transfixed, Han's jaw dropped and his heart skipped several beats at the sight. Leia was absolutely stunning, leaving him breathless. She was the very definition of a fantasy princess, her dark hair wafting in thick, gentle waves down past her shoulders, ending somewhere near her waist with a sparkling jeweled tiara encircling her head. Her elegant, glittering gown fluttered in such a way that it looked as if she floated rather than walked down the aisle. Her blushing genuine smile caused Han's heart to thunk again as her eyes shyly met his for a mere moment before looking away to the guests in attendance. Amazed, Solo collected himself to beam his most charming lopsided smile as their eyes met again and locked for the remainder of the distance. Drawn into Leia's unwavering gaze, Han's body felt alive with sparks that rapidly shot through every nerve ending. Finally reaching the steps to the dais, she hesitated from moving further, averting her eyes.

_Leia, don't give up now,_ Han thought. He could clearly feel her indecision as he quickly took action. Meeting her at the bottom step, Han held out his formally curved arm to her. The Princess raised her eyes nervously.

"It'll be all right. C'mon, Sweetheart," Han whispered softly, so that only she could hear. Exhaling, her expression revealed her anxious anticipation as she slipped her hand decisively around his bent elbow and allowed him lead her up the stairs. Once they reached the top, Leia dropped her grip from his arm as they turned to face each other. Reaching out, Han took Leia's trembling hands firmly into his and eased her a step closer to him. Squeezing her fingers, he gave her a reassuring wink and mouthed, 'You look beautiful.' Leia smiled back so brilliantly, Han felt himself become a little unsteady.

King Antropo started the ceremony following the script used for every royal bonding in the modern history of the Uluruan system. Neither Han nor Leia were paying any attention. They were completely focused on one another. Unable to wipe the awestruck expression off his face made Han feel slightly self-conscious in front of the Princess. Mostly though, he was ecstatic at having an excuse to be able to focus on her openly, up close and for an extended period of time.

To Leia, it all felt so incredibly real. She was bonding with Han Solo! _Han Solo!_ A parade of opposing thoughts passed through her mind. She didn't know what to think about it at the moment except that it was all so mind-boggling - real or not. Han looked exceptionally dashing all dressed up in the refinery they had obviously forced him to wear. Regardless, he wore it well with his tall, muscular frame and broad shoulders. That was an understatement. As much as she found him attractive on a day-to-day basis, this was over and above anytime previously - _well_ over and above. He was positively drop-dead gorgeous. Leia had never known a man before who could inspire that particular phrase to come to mind. When she first saw Han waiting for her on the dais today, her heart had skittered out of rhythm and she was unable to maintain eye contact for fear of completely melting before she reached him.

Leia was thankful that Solo had the presence of mind to retrieve her from the bottom of the steps. She was fine until she had reached that point. Momentarily, she had flashed back to her dream and it had disturbed her. Yet, that wasn't what had seized her. Vivid flashes of Alderaan being blown to bits had erupted through her mind. Although Leia knew she was doing the right thing for the people's sake and was set on making it all happen, she had stopped and had been frozen to the spot in fear of it all possibly happening again somehow. Thank the Force, Han quickly picked up on her hesitation before anyone could really notice and covered smoothly while at the same time giving her the encouragement she needed. Then almost as quickly as it had come, the fear had disappeared, and left her open to face the man standing in front of her once again. _Mark another one up to Han Solo's Princess Rescue Service,_ Leia smirked to herself.

The King called Han's name, waking the absorbed couple to attention. In a slow and deliberate fashion, Han repeated the vows, falling so deeply into Leia's brown eyes that she felt faint. When the time came for her turn, she stammered and stumbled most of the way through, shaky in voice and demeanor. Understandable, since Han's rapt gaze never left hers the whole time. Declaring her love to Han Solo as he stood before her was one of the most unnerving things Leia had ever had to do - no matter what she might or might not feel for him. Grateful when her part was finished, Leia exhaled in relief.

As King Antropo droned on again for a few minutes, Leia finally realized what was coming next: the kiss! Staunchly traditional to this system's bonding ceremonies; there was no way around it. Her heart raced. She was would be forced to kiss Han in front of everyone. Fear gripped her worse than when being chased down by any Star Destroyer. This isn't how she had wanted to kiss Han for the first time, if she were going to kiss him at all, that is. Doing it here, in front of so many people watching was a nightmare come true.

Seeing the abrupt change in Leia's eyes, Han smirked, _Guess she just remembered the kiss._ With his next breath, his heart melted at the sight. Leia looked so… afraid. She was afraid of kissing him. Han never wanted Leia to fear him in an intimate moment.

Silence.

Everyone in the large hall sat remarkably still, waiting expectantly for the bonded couple's obligatory fateful kiss.

Reaching out, Han gently stroked his fingers along Leia's cheek as he slowly leaned in. Leia eyes fell closed at the touch of Han brushing his lips ever-so-softly across hers, barely touching them at all and scarcely long enough to appease the audience. Quickly, he pulled back right away.

When Leia opened her eyes, Han was staring questioningly back at her. Her reaction ran the gauntlet of emotions, not the least of which was surprise. Leia had expected him to take advantage of the situation, but he hadn't. Would the mysteries of Han Solo never cease? One other emotion stood out, too: disappointment. Although now she had a vague sense of what Han's lips felt like against hers, Leia wished for more. Realizing she was still staring blankly at Han, she allowed him to see small smile.

To cheers, the King announced the bonding ceremony over. The coronation was to come next. King Antropo stepped aside and Han stepped down a couple of steps behind Leia.

Royal attendants came and removed Leia's tiara. King Antropo resumed his former position and Leia knelt before him. At that point, the King began his officious speech, performed in the Uluruan system's native language and traditional to the coronation for ages. Mercifully, it was relatively short. Before long, King Antropo had laid the ceremonial crown on Leia's head and pronounced her 'Queen Leia of Uluruan.'

The new queen turned to face the crowded hall of people. Simultaneously, they all bowed their heads in reverence. Leia looked to Han who also had bowed his head. When he raised his eyes to meet hers, an encouraging wink and proud smile followed. Instantly, memories if the Yavin Battle medal ceremony played through her mind. Leia remembered how she had truly been able smile through her pain that day because of him.

The large crowd erupted into loud cheers and applause for Queen Leia of Uluruan. Leia reached out for Han's hand and pulled him up beside her. It felt good to have him standing there next to her as she faced everyone. The hardest part was over. Now all they had to do was get through the festivities.


	12. Chapter 12: Captain Gorgeous

Ha! I did NOT forget it was Friday. Apparently, 14-15 years later, just before I was about to post, I decided I needed to rewrite the beginning of this chapter. I think it's a bit more fun now & extra long. I like it better at any rate. I hope you agree. I love hearing from you about this fic. It's really mind-blowing to me that people think it's worth saying anything at all. As you know, I make a point to answer all reviews and PM's because I really do enjoy chatting about Han/Leia.

Chapter 12: Captain Gorgeous

Captain Solo escorted Queen Leia back down the aisle sporting an uncontrollable ridiculously cheerful grin. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was congratulating himself for making Leia genuinely smile like that. It was a rare occurrence, but it was unmistakable and had always made his heart beat with a mind of its own. Not that he tried all that often to make it happen, but his priorities were definitely changed now.

Having been ushered into a small side room adjoining another large hall, they waited in silence. Leia awkwardly refused to meet his eyes. Even as a trained orator, she had no idea what she could possibly say in that moment. The standard phrases regarding being in love and happy that commonly occurred during this time were not about to be admitted aloud or otherwise.

If she could just keep her eyes off of him, she was sure she could hold herself together and not blurt out something stupid. He was heartbreakingly handsome standing there and her emotions were running higher than ever before. She couldn't help remembering her earlier dream. It had felt so real and so had the ceremony just now.

Thankfully, several attendants suddenly surrounded them breaking the spell. They removed the Queen's ceremonial crown and replaced it with the original tiara. While he was irritated with person trying to touch up his hair, he found himself admiring the way Leia looked in her tiara. It struck a chord with one of his past underlying fantasies of her. He had teased her about the idea before, but now he had actual ammunition and fully planned on never letting her live it down. As much as he enjoyed seeing her this way, it was just too enticing a tease to pass up. To achieve the full effect of the pink flush of enraged passion on her cheeks, the timing had to be right. Now was not that time.

The Queen surreptitiously watched the dutifully brave attendant making a concerted effort to comb Han's hair much to his displeasure. His annoyed face and demeanor dripping with dire warnings elicited a knowing smirk from Leia. She mused that it was a good thing he wasn't wearing his blaster or he may have been more than a little tempted to use it.

The head attendant in charge of the ceremony stepped in front of them. He bowed to the Queen before speaking, "Your Highness, the guests have assembled in the Throne Room and await your arrival with Captain Solo."

While Leia nodded her assent, Han took the opportunity to once again reach for her hand and squeeze it gently before lifting it to the crook of his arm. Solo literally had to stop himself from raising her hand to his mouth first to kiss her fingers, jerking his head back to straighten up instead of completing the movement that initially felt so natural. Now he amazed himself at how deeply he had fallen for this woman.

Han gestured to the door as he finally broke the silence between them, "Well, Your Most Royal Immenseness, here's where the fun begins."

Leia closed her eyes in exasperation at his flippancy, but smiled nonetheless. She resolved that no matter what situation Han found himself in, Solo would always be Solo. Her next thought that snuck in on the heels of the first and without her permission was that she liked that about him.

Albeit slightly smaller than the grand wedding hall, the Throne Room was decorated lavishly, befitting the new Queen's status. There were huge carved support columns arranged in two rows along the spacious room. Each one was completely ensconced in beautiful flowers and lush greenery, creating a picturesque utopian atmosphere. Leia recognized at least a third of the flowers as being native only to Alderaan and it lent another bittersweet twinge to her already emotional day.

The royal announcement of their entrance was met with applause and fanfare. They stood for a moment before walking toward their table as per prior instruction. Once there the music would take over, signaling the beginning of the festivities. Han spied the bandleader and, on a whim because that was how he did his best thinking, he signaled for the band to start playing just as they reached the middle of the room.

Leia's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" She said trying not to move her lips knowing that all eyes were on Han and her.

Han turned her to face him and bowed slightly in a gentlemanly fashion, "May I have this dance?"

For a moment, Leia was dumbstruck and somewhat flustered, but kept her control. "Solo, this is not what is supposed to happen."

"You're the Queen, Sweetheart," Solo reminded her while trying to appear as charming as possible. "You get to decide what's supposed to happen."

"Making things up as I go along is not what I had in mind," she pointed out while keeping the now fake smile plastered on her face. She stole a look over Han's shoulder to the now former King. His smile was genuine and he gave her a knowing nod of encouragement.

"What's wrong?" Han smiled winningly. "Don't you want to dance with your new bondmate?"

She knew she was sunk and Solo had won. They had been standing there too long and if they didn't dance now, it wouldn't look right. Keeping her smile firmly in place, she nodded her assent, but her whispered response flat-lined with sarcasm, "Of course I do."

As he took her into his arms, maintaining a respectful distance in light of the circumstances and also unsure if she would try to purposed jab him in the foot in retribution for his stunt, he again signaled for the other guests to join in. Thankfully, they were all too happy to share in their royal couple's jubilant spin around the dance floor.

Once the major attention of the crowd was focused elsewhere, Han began staring pointedly at her with those irresistible, expressive hazel eyes of his as he ushered them around the dance floor. His hand felt sure around her waist as they danced. With every turn, Leia ended up a little closer in Han's embrace. He tried to regain some of their previous progress.

"C'mon, Sweetheart, you can't blame a guy for wanting to dance with the most beautiful woman here, can you?" He smiled down at her in the way he knew she found irresistible and her expression softened a bit, but she didn't answer him.

Confusion reigned in the new Queen. First, Han barely kissed her during the ceremony and now he was edging her closer and closer as he was staring meaningfully into her eyes. So meaningfully, that Leia found it harder and harder to believe it was an act. Eventually, she put her confusion down to stress. Leia had to admit that it had been one of the more stressful days she had been through in a long time. Considering her time with the Rebellion, that was no small thing.

During the seemingly endless celebration, there were many toasts to the new queen and her lifemate. Of course, Leia was compelled to drink to them all. She tried to restrict herself to small sips during each and even faked more than a few, but it was to no avail. Ultimately, she found herself feeling a little tipsy. Perhaps she shouldn't have surreptitiously downed that glass of strong clear liquor that she swiped from a waiter as he passed by just after affirming the divorce decree. Or that second glass either. Definitely, not the third.

A short time after Leia returned from a quick private conversation off to the side with King Antropo, Han picked up on her intoxicated state and cursed under breath. Knowing he had to act fast before another well-wisher made their way over to them, Solo grasped Leia's upper arm, intent on leaving.

"C'mon, Your Worship. Party's over," he said in no uncertain terms.

Leia gazed up at him and was having obvious trouble retaining her clear focus. "We really should stay," she said after a long second, slurring the last two words a bit.

"That's it. I gotta get you outta here," Han insisted and quickly led them out through a side door before anyone could stop them. There might be some talk of them leaving without saying goodbye, but Solo knew it could be much worse if Leia had to interact with anyone right now. She was in no condition. Besides, who would really fault them on their 'bonding night'?

As he walked a slightly wobbly Princess, now Queen, back to their appointed bonding suite, Han kicked himself for not keeping a closer eye on her. This wasn't like her.

Normally, Leia held her liquor well for such a petite woman. He knew she had been heavily stressed the whole day and considered maybe that had something to do with it. Add in a ton of new pressures on top of the Rebellion and anyone was bound to overdo it without realizing, Solo rationalized.

At the door, Han put her between the wall and himself for support while he punched in the code. "How're you doin', Sweetheart?"

Leia smiled brightly, "I'm fine, _Sweetheart_. How're you?"

Han smirked incredulously. Her Immenseness was looped. Solo had seen her slightly intoxicated once in a rare while over the last few years, but never quite this far gone. He almost wished he could record this.

The door hissed open and Leia seemed pleased. He could swear that her expression had the distinct appearance of… anticipation. Shaking the feeling off, Solo led her inside, and locked the door behind them. Standing Leia in the middle of the outer room, Han held her shoulders to steady her. He leaned down parallel to her face to assess her, studiously peering into her eyes.

"You sure you're okay?"

"I just said I was fine. You're the one who didn't answer the question," she reminded him rather lucidly.

"Okay, then why don't you get changed and then we'll get some sleep?" Han suggested, convinced for the moment that she could handle it by herself without falling down and getting hurt.

Leia stared at him, slightly disoriented. "What are you talking about? You're not sleeping with me!" She just about shouted, shaking her head and pointing her unsteady finger in his general direction.

Han sighed, reminding himself that he needed to be as patient as possible. "Of course I'm not sleeping _with _you. I meant that we'll both go to sleep, that's all. Now I want you to go and get changed. Call me when you're done."

Without questioning why Han wanted her to call him after she changed, she complied with her dress swishing unregally about her as she trundled into the bedroom. A moment later, she reappeared with a bashful glow on her face.

"I, uh, need some help with the fasteners in the back," she mumbled, speaking to the floor. She seemed to realize that most women would _want_ their new lifemates to help them out of their dress on their bonding night...but she wasn't most women and this wasn't most bonding nights.

Han moved to walk behind her and the flush on Leia's face that he had originally put down to the effects of alcohol, noticeably reddened even more. He stopped and stepped in front of her instead.

Leia looked puzzled. "What're you doing?"

Han reached around her back, hiding his hands underneath her cascading veil of dark hair which was now devoid of her tiara.

"I'm undoin' the fasteners," he said tenderly, as he gently manipulated the catches. Leia felt herself sway again and she naturally reached out for support, her hands landing firmly on Han's chest.

When she left them there, Han searched her gaze for an explanation. A significant part of him wished that this could happen while she was sober. Solo tried to concentrate on his task instead of the way her body felt seductively soft and warm underneath his hands or the encouraging way she was staring at him.

It would be so easy to lean down and taste her enticing mouth, her lips having parted seemingly expectantly. His entire being was demanding he kiss her. That small peck during the ceremony hardly counted. He wanted – no, _needed_ a real kiss and began to lean down already anticipating where he would let his hands wander as he kissed her.

At the last second, he pulled up. His conscience stopped him and surprised him. Absently, he wondered when his conscience started making decisions for him. He pushed it aside for a more palatable reason: Leia might go for it now, but when she sobered up, Han was pretty sure her reaction wouldn't be as positive. She would accuse him of taking advantage of her. Then, she would lose any trust in him that he might have going.

Han didn't need nor want that. So, he forced himself to hold back as difficult as it was. Solo thought he must be getting old and mellow. There was a time when a lot less opportunity than this would have made him go for broke.

All too soon for Han, he was finished with the fasteners. Slowly brushing his fingers down the open 'V' of the gown to supposedly to check for any missed fasteners, he pronounced, "All done, Sweetheart." He didn't miss the little shiver from her as his fingers had trailed along the exposed skin of her back.

"Are you sure that's all?" Leia asked quietly, without moving away from him. Her hazy brown eyes searched his hopefully.

"Yeah." Regretfully, Han stepped back. Leia hands slid from his chest to fall at her sides.

Visibly upset, Leia drew her hands behind her back, doing her best to hold the gown closed and turned to go. "I don't think you know what you want," she mumbled almost incoherently, making her way into the bedroom.

Han plundered a hand through his hair and sighed forcefully. His stubborn mane had been combed neatly at the beginning of the day, but now it had fallen back into its naturally scruffy disarray. He took off the jacket and other regalia he had been wearing and tossed them onto a nearby chair. Sitting down, he struggled to kick off his boots. Han wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but this was turning out to be one hell of a day.

"Ok, I'm ready," Leia called out from the other room. Han got up and walked in, hoping she would have managed all right.

The first thing he saw was the dress in a pile on the floor just inside of the doorway. Stepping around it, he looked up to see Leia wearing a long, flowing white gauzy negligee peeking out from beneath a more conservative robe. The robe sufficiently covered and blocked out the main bodice of the see-through slip underneath. Han guessed the bonding assistants had picked out the garments because he wouldn't believe it was Leia's doing. Han was surprised that Leia seemed comfortable wearing the attire in front of him, but then again, alcohol does a good job of lowering one's inhibitions, he reasoned.

"Are you blushing?" Leia asked incredulously, her eyes wide and eyebrows raised.

Of course he wasn't, but it was pointless to argue with her in this condition. "I guess I'm just the shy type," Han answered, pulling back the covers of the bed and sitting Leia down on the edge before swinging her feet up.

"Since when?" With a sudden burst of bravery. "And what about that kiss during the ceremony?" Had she not had too much to drink, the question never would have made it past her lips.

"What about it?" Han asked, hoping to appease her quickly, but also interested in hearing this. He may never get another chance at hearing the answer again. With one hand, he yanked the covers up over her loosely, while coaxing her to relax and lie down with the other.

"_That's _how you kiss your lifemate at your bonding? Aren't you supposed to be 'Han Solo, Master of Corellian Charm?'" Leia accused with a slight edge.

"I thought that's what you wanted, Sweetheart," Han said defensively and honestly, his patience again being tested.

"Ha! Shows how little you know," she balked, sounding disappointed. "When all of those women you boast about get wind of this, Captain Gorgeous, you're going to have a hard time convincing any of them to spend time with you," Leia finished, wagging a finger at him in an overly wide arc triumphantly.

Han captured the waving hand and kissed it gently, unable to help himself. "Then I guess I'll just spend that extra time taking care of you when you've had too much to drink. You're gonna have one helluva hangover in the mornin', Sweetheart," he smirked.

Presumably appeased, Leia smiled, but her eyes were fighting to stay open. "But you'll be there for me, won't you, Han? You're always there for me…" She finally had to allow her eyes to close. "… because you're a nice man," she whispered, dropping off to sleep.

Solo stood next to the bed for a long moment and studied her. Leia was so beautiful, especially with her hair down. He had never seen it all the way down before today and it had enchanted him the second he saw it. Han longed to entwine his fingers in the long tresses and give Leia the kiss she evidently had been expecting. A kiss that she would never forget, one that she could carry with her when he had to eventually leave to pay off his debts. He wondered if he would ever get the opportunity. Chances were that when she woke up in the morning, she wouldn't remember much about their conversation. If she did, Han doubted she would admit it anyway.

Grimacing, he walked over to the couch on the other side of the bedroom. Most likely, Leia would have insisted on him sleeping in the outer room had she been more sober. The very reason that she wasn't sober made Han anxious to keep an eye on her from in here, in case she needed him during the night. Tossing a few troublesome times, he found a comfortable position to sleep in. With one long sigh to dispel the day, he closed his eyes and drifted off.


	13. Chapter 13: Bribery Gets You Everywhere

Ok, my fellow fanficcers, we may have been teased by certain group of our friends today, but I'm no tease...

Chapter 13: Bribery Gets You Everywhere

Han woke up as Leia emerged from the fresher wearing her robe and with her hair wound up in a towel. He could see another larger towel wrapped around her body underneath the robe from the night before. Solo grinned widely, "Good mornin', Your Immenseness. How ya feelin'?"

Leia grabbed her head, issuing a small noise that was a cross between a groan of pain and dissatisfaction, "Do you have to be so loud?"

"I guess the Queen got up on the wrong side of the royal throne this mornin'," Han crowed even more cheerfully.

If Leia had been within arm's reach of a blaster, she may have stunned him for that remark - or worse. Lacking the desired blaster, she settled for the best scowl she could manage through her pounding head. She walked over to the closet where the servants most likely would have stored their clothes. Selecting the basic outfit she wore when they first arrived, she wished she'd had the wherewithal to bring them into the fresher with her in the first place. At the time, just getting into the fresher seemed like a monumental task in and of itself. So, she had left it to chance whether or not Solo would be awake when she came out to retrieve them.

After Leia disappeared back into the fresher, Han got up and stretched, trying to relieve his cramped muscles from sleeping in a contorted position all night. He sauntered into the other room and headed for the small cooling unit there. He raked his hand through his hair as he studied the selection. Choosing one of the more innocuous looking drinks, he broke the seal and sniffed the contents. It smelled inoffensive enough, so he took a swig. The cool liquid felt good washing down his throat.

Walking over to the nearby chair, he flopped down. The hard part was over, now all they had to do was say their goodbyes to the King and blast out of there. For once, Han couldn't wait to get back to the Alliance base. Then Solo remembered he had to file for the dissolution. _The dissolution_, Han grimaced to himself watching Leia walk in and head directly to the cooling unit. She was back to looking more like herself, hair braided up and wearing her traveling clothes.

"I saw somethin' in there that should help your hangover, Sweetheart," Han offered, gesturing to the unit that Leia was standing in front of.

Not acknowledging him, Leia moved a couple of the containers around. She spied one that promised soothing energy in the labeling. Reading the contents, she saw that it was formulated to rehydrate the body and contained anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea properties. Closing the unit, she broke the seal on the container and sipped cautiously.

Leia was hesitant to turn around. While in the fresher getting dressed, her memory of the night before had come back to her in bits and pieces until she thought she remembered everything that happened. She had shut her eyes, reproaching herself for being stupid enough to let herself get out of control like that. As far as she could tell, Han had swept her out of the reception before she had done any damage there. But as for after that… She couldn't believe the way she had acted and the things she had said to Han.

Taking another small sip from the container she held, she tried to glance behind her. She would have to face this sooner or later. It might as well be sooner. Mustering up her dignity, she said quietly, "Thanks for getting me out of there last night."

"Captain Gorgeous, at your service, Your Most Highest Worshipfulness," Han intoned sarcastically from where he sat, spreading his arms out to his sides with his hands splayed at a natural angle.

Closing her eyes against the embarrassment, she cringed. Of course, Han wasn't going to let it slide. Why would he with enough perfect ammunition to make her life a living nightmare of endless torment? She faced him and took a few steps forward, trying to keep her poise.

"Look, I don't entirely remember what I did or said last night," she began. Actually, now standing in the same spot, she remembered quite clearly how she wanted him to kiss her more than anything.

Seeing a blush creeping over her face, Han knew she was probably remembering much more than she was letting on. He smiled mischievously, "I'd be happy to fill you in on the missin' parts."

She almost glared at him, but caught herself. She needed to be in his good graces for this. She flared her hands slightly away from her sides as she pleaded in as dignified way as possible, "Actually, I was hoping to forget about it entirely… and I was hoping you would do the same."

"I dunno- it'd make a great story. I'm sure Chewie and Luke would get a real kick out of it," Han' drawled as his eyebrows reached towards his hairline and he contemplating his drink. "Now Chewie? You probably don't have to worry about him saying anything, but Luke, well… you know how he can be."

Sure he would relent soon, but he might as well have a little fun in the meantime. He knew she was holding back her natural reactions to his goading. In fact, Leia probably wanted to choke him right about now.

Leia's eyes widened in horror, "You wouldn't!" Seeing his unrelenting expression, she squeezed her eyes shut and balled her fists at her sides. "Of course you would," she realized, again silently berating herself for allowing the whole thing to happen.

Knowing he had won this battle, Han got up and walked over to where she stood. Aching to touch her, he almost reached out and slid his hands down Leia's arms. Unfortunately, Han had no excuse that he could think of to do so. Affecting his best sabacc face so she wouldn't see any trace of how he really felt, he fought to sound indifferent, "Relax, Sweetheart. Everyone's been there at least once. Even you're entitled to a night like that."

"Then what's it going to take to keep you quiet about it?" Leia demanded.

Han pressed his lips together in consideration. He was about to tell her that he wouldn't say anything and not to worry about it, but if she was willing to offer him something…

"How about a bottle of that liquor the King keeps in his office?"

"How fitting," Leia said dryly. Then before he could make a smart remark, she followed with, "Deal." The Princess wanted to talk to him about not speaking of any of the bonding or the coronation either. However, she thought it best not to push her luck right now. She would find a better time before they arrived back at the Alliance base.

"Good. So are you about ready to get goin'? I wanna to takeoff before midday," Solo announced as he headed toward the fresher.

"Fine. I'll go contact my uncle, so he'll be expecting us," Leia said.

Han and Leia met King Antropo in his private quarters to say their farewells. To give them a few minutes alone, Solo meandered out onto the balcony overlooking a garden of small connecting pools and fountains. They were not as ornate or large as what he had seen at the Garden Palace, but impressive all the same. The warm breeze relaxed him as his thoughts centered on events of the last few days.

Mostly, he thought about Leia.

It was no longer any wonder to him that he loved her. Han acknowledged that he had been thinking quite a bit about her during the last standard year or so. Even Chewie had noticed his absorption and teased him mercilessly while they were working on the Falcon or playing a round of sabacc. Solo had brushed it all off, putting it down to one thing or another. No longer. He loved Leia. The only problem that now remained was what he was going to do about it - if anything.

To say the least, Han was unhappy about the fact that he had to leave to pay off Jabba. Leia felt the same way. She had made _those_ feelings very clear the night he had agreed to bond with her. There was no choice though, sooner or later, he would have to leave. Han had a feeling that 'sooner' was already past and 'later' was coming to an end.

Sure, he didn't have to go right away, but what about Leia? If he tried to win her over, got her to face her feelings, and then had to leave… He sighed. Would that be fair?

Han told her he would come back for the right reason and he still believed he would. He questioned whether she would be willing to give him that reason. While here, Leia had been the most open about her feelings that Han had ever seen. He wasn't sure that would hold once they left.

More than likely, she would be back to business by the time they made planetfall. Maybe that was for the best, after all. She was right, a relationship would just open up a whole new set of problems. Han sighed again trying to clear his cluttered mind. In the end though, he didn't think he would mind trading in one set of problems for another.

Han was thinking so intently, he barely noticed the King join him. "Relaxing, isn't it?" King Antropo asked, gesturing to the scenery below.

"I guess. Is Leia ready to go?" Han wasn't much in the mood for small talk.

"She's saying goodbye to a few people," the King dismissed with a backward wave. From his pocket, he pulled out a datacard and handed it to Solo. "I wanted to give you this."

Han turned it over in his hand in examination, "What is it?"

"It's the dissolution decree. I drew it up myself and Leia has already put her approval on it. All you need to do is add your approval to it and drop it off to the Minister of Records on the way to your ship. I told him personally to expect you this morning. See that you give it directly to him yourself. He'll know how to handle it."

"When did Leia approve this?" Han asked, tapping the edge of the datacard with a finger.

"Yesterday, when I pulled her aside after the first couple toasts," the King said in a tone that obviously expected Han to remember.

Solo did remember the King taking Leia aside for a quick moment in between toasts, but he didn't remember anything else about it until now. Looking back, Han could now recall that she had seemed upset somehow afterwards. Maybe upset wasn't quite the right word. Whatever the word was, it now made sense. Bonded, crowned, and dissolved all in a matter of hours. If Han had been Leia, he would've have probably done a whole lot more that just take a sip at each of the toasts.

Hiding his grimace, Han put the datacard into the pocket of his flight jacket. He was angry. How could King Antropo have been so heartless regarding his niece? Then he realized that this had been the deal from the beginning. It was just business at the least and helping out a friend at the most.

After all, that's what both Leia and Solo had insisted to the King. It's not Antropo's fault that Han had realized his feelings of love for her even if that ridiculous elixir had something to do with it. In fact, if Han was right about Leia's strong reaction to the dissolution decree that was another point in his favor that Leia indeed had romantic feelings for him, too - maybe even the love he hoped for in return.

King Antropo seized the moment to catch Han's glance as he looked up. "Thank you for your help, Captain Solo," he stated in his most sincere royal tones.

Han shook his head slightly. "I didn't do it for you," he answered almost gruffly.

The King glanced back towards the room where Leia was now finishing up, "Indeed." Then he returned his glance back to Solo. "Nonetheless, we are in your debt." The King held out his hand in a gesture of goodwill and thanks.

Solo shook the King's hand quickly, but firmly. "I'll remember that," Han said, allowing a bit of his mercenary tendencies to seep into his voice. If the King wanted to owe him one, then why not? After all, you never know when a favor from a former King might come in handy. "I'm gonna see if Leia's ready."

Han strode into the other room to collect the Princess. The King watched him go, a wry grin creeping across his face. He had a strong feeling he would see Solo again. No doubt about it, he thought, shaking his head and chuckling to himself.


	14. Chapter 14: Knot Means Not All Clear?

Ok, so I'm techincally an hour late plus a fwe minutes. Sorry about that. Hopefully all of you will have a heart and cut me a little slack this time? So, without further delay...

Chapter 14: Knot means not. All Clear?

Han Solo and the Princess left the palace from a hidden exit in a commonplace landspeeder provided by King Antropo's security detail to avoid any fanfare from the local press that might be lurking about. Refusing a driver or guard escort of any sort, Solo had insisted on driving himself to stay as inconspicuous as possible and also so that he was in control should a situation arise. For good measure, he wound around the streets in a maze-like fashion, keeping a close eye peeled for anyone that might be tailing them. After a long fifteen minutes, he nodded satisfactorily to himself. "Looks clear," he announced, not necessarily talking the Princess.

When Solo once again turned the speeder the opposite direction from the spaceport, Leia's expression became concerned. "I thought you said it was clear?"

"It is," Han answered, not elaborating.

"Then where are we going? The spaceport is back that way," she indicated, pointing in the other direction. For all intents and purposes, Leia thought Han seemed lost. The tenseness in his features only served to confirm that feeling. Wasn't it Han who always took every opportunity to spout on and on about his superior sense of direction?

"I know. I have to make a stop first," he said quietly, his voice tight.

Leia was about to ask him what this was all about when it finally occurred to her. He was going to the Hall or Records to file the dissolution before they left. She turned her face to the side viewport of the enclosed cabin not wanting Han to see the uncontrolled instant reaction she was suddenly desperate to hide. Staring hard at the passing scenery outside, she focused on not feeling anything. While doing her best to force herself to think about anything except the last few days, Leia noticed that her head still hurt and her stomach suddenly felt even worse than when she first woke up that morning. She made a mental note to raid the Falcon's medkit once they were in hyperspace.

A heavy silence stretched between them as the speeder made its way down a long thoroughfare that led to the enclave of official government buildings within the center of the capital city. Keeping his eye on traffic, Han spared a quick glance at subdued Princess and noticed that while she was making an effort at indifference, her body posture was rigid and her hands were clenched tightly where they rested on her lap. Checking the controls in front of him, he saw that his own hands were gripping the steering yoke rather forcefully, too. Unlike Leia, the thoughts streamed through his mind at a blinding speed. Han warned himself that there wasn't much he could do about the situation. This is the way Leia wanted it. She had placed her approval on the dissolution decree almost immediately after the ceremony. Solo reasoned that if there were any chance of things being different, that would have been the point where she would have changed her mind.

He recalled how they had locked gazes during the ceremony and how adorably flustered Leia had been trying to get through the vows of love and commitment. At that point, Han had believed her true feelings for him had been showing through.

Now, he wasn't so sure. It hadn't been long afterwards when the King had presented the dissolution decree to her and she willingly approved them. Sure, she was rattled a bit by it, but then again, there were plenty of other reasons for her to be on edge already. Maybe she reacted that way because it was the last thing in a string of stressful events.

Han parked the speeder on the street adjacent to the Hall of Records in a position where Leia could see the entrance. Without looking at her, he grumbled, "Leave it running. This won't take long." Then, he climbed out and headed off.

Leia watched him walk away and felt her stomach lurch again. An empty feeling invaded her as he disappeared into the large doors of the building. Having given up trying to distract her thoughts, she repeated the mantra: 'It wasn't real. It wasn't real.' However, the more she affirmed it in her mind, the more her body wouldn't believe it. The knot in her stomach tightened and a strange depleting numbness worked its way down her limbs. As tears began to threaten, she brought her fists up to her eyes to stifle them. She would not cry.

Han walked into the foyer of the Hall of Records and the reception droid that reminded Han of Threepio politely directed him to the Minister's office. He stepped into a vacant lift and requested the Minister's level. Han fingered the tiny datacard in his chest pocket and took a deep breath as the doors opened.

"I'm here to see the Minister," Solo announced as he stepped over to the assistant stationed outside of the Minister's inner office.

The humanoid assistant smiled pleasantly at the Corellian's gruff announcement. "Can I help you sir?"

"I already told you. I'm here to see the Minister," Han repeated, already on edge.

Recognition began to light in the man's eyes. "Your name sir?"

"You don't need to know my name. He'll see me," Han insisted, staring down menacingly at the assistant who looked as if he was about to call security. Many times, Luke had told him the story of Kenobi using a Jedi mind trick to evade the Stormtroopers in Mos Eisley. Not one for such nonsense, Han had always considered a good old-fashioned threat to work just as well in many cases.

This was not one of those cases, he decided. Solo took another breath and calmed down. He just wanted to do this quickly and get it over with, not start any trouble. He smiled, "Look, he's expecting me. So just tell him, alright?"

Solo stood warily expectant while the assistant buzzed the Minister. A few seconds later, the Minister himself appeared at the inner office door as it whooshed open. "Ah, so pleased to see you. Please, come right in."

Han walked past him into the room, unable to stop himself from throwing the assistant an 'I told you so' look.

Once the door closed, the Minister began speaking again. "King Antropo told me to expect you and to keep your identity as secret as possible. Sir, allow me to personally congratulate you and the Queen on your bonding. I can assure you that all of the licensing and so forth has been properly filed and is secured from prying eyes. I saw to it myself," the Minister finished proudly.

"You did?" Solo made his confusion over the situation appear to be appreciative of the Minister's efforts. Apparently, the King had not informed the Minister exactly why Solo needed to see him. "Well, thanks."

"Yes, of course, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Ah…" Han reached towards his jacket pocket and stopped, just pulling on the lapel instead. "…no. That'll be all. Thanks for your help."

"It was an honor to be of service, sir. If there is anything I can do in the future, please feel free contact me at your convenience," the Minister reiterated as he opened the door for Solo.

Han nodded and made his way back to the waiting lift. Stepping inside, his thumb and two fingers of one hand rubbed at opposite sides of his temples. _I hope I know what I'm doing._ His mind refused to form the words that he had just opted to stay bonded to Leia.

His hand dropped from his face and pulled out the datacard. Why was the lift taking so damn long to get down? Finally, the doors slid open. Han walked to the entrance of the building and stopped near the huge windows that formed the front wall of the foyer. From where he stood, Han could see the parked speeder with Leia waiting inside. Through the darkened windows of the speeder, he could just make out her shadowed form.

Having composed herself and gotten control of her emotions, Leia kept a lookout for Han. He should be coming back any minute now and there was no way she wanted him to suspect that she was upset. Soon they would be well on their way back to base and this will have been nothing more than a memory. Just one more crazy memory in a slew of misadventures she had shared with Han over the last couple of years.

Leia was sure it would be much easier to handle once they were on their way and she convinced Han to keep quiet about the whole thing. Then, they could go back to their well-worn routine of infuriating teasing and incessant arguments. Granted, she would miss the Han Solo she had seen while on Uluruan. The one who had lent his support without an uproar of complaint at every turn, the one who was charming to the royal dignitaries, and especially the one who had tenderly kissed her without taking advantage when even Leia wouldn't have blamed him for doing so.

Although, their usual version of a friendship left a lot to be desired, Leia knew they had to return to it. Doing otherwise was too dangerous. Her focus needed to be where she was in control of her emotions. She would not allow anything or anyone to distract her from her mission to bring down the Empire. - no matter how unbelievably mesmerizing those hazel eyes could be, dammit.

The driver's side door of the speeder hissed open and Solo climbed in. A little thrill ran down his spine at the mere sight of Leia and the thought of her as still his lifemate. Why was it that he wanted to kiss her every time he looked at her? However, he forced his expression to remain neutral. If she had any idea what he had just done – or not done, to be more exact – she would probably kill him. Not trusting his voice to not betray him this time, Solo threw her a questioning acknowledgement as if to say 'Ready?'

Leia thought she felt a strange vibe coming from Han as he had climbed into the speeder, but she couldn't begin to guess what that feeling was or why she felt it. She nodded to his questioning look and they took off towards the spaceport. Neither spoke a word the entire way there. In fact, they maintained silence until blasting into hyperspace, speaking only when necessary regarding the Falcon controls.


	15. Chapter 15: Too Hard To Get Over?

Thank you for the kind reviews and PM's. Thank you even more for sticking with this fic thus far! May the Force Be With You!

Chapter 15: Is Han Solo Too Hard To Get Over?

Once in hyperspace, Leia left the cockpit in search of the medkit. Since liftoff, her headache had abated some, but the knot in her stomach had only become worse. Rummaging through the Falcon's medical supplies, she found what she was looking for and headed off to the galley for some water.

Water in hand, Leia sat down at the gametable in the main hold and opened the small box taken from the main supplies. She noted how pathetically low his supplies were and he was completely out of most of the basics. The least she could do was take it upon herself to see that the kit and the Falcon's medical bay was fully resupplied at her next opportunity. Force knows this was one ship that should always be fully stocked.

She washed the taste of the self-dissolving med strip out of her mouth with a quick gulp of the water, closing her eyes as she felt them enter her system.

Han sauntered in and checked the board at the navigator station. He was about to head back to the cockpit when he saw the open box of meds on the table next to Leia. He surmised that he hadn't noticed anything wrong before because he had been wrapped up in the fact that they were still bonded. Now that he looked at her, she did seem a little off-color. She shouldn't still be suffering any aftereffects of the night before.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine," Leia dismissed, putting the various supplies back and closed the gray metal box with a click. She was dreading the coming conversation, but she knew she had to get it over with. "We need to talk."

"What about?" Han asked, sitting down across from her.

"When we get back, I would appreciate it if no one found out about any of what happened on Uluruan - including Luke and Chewie."

Solo waved the idea away casually, "You don't have to worry about Chewie. He wouldn't say anything." Luke, Solo could understand. They had similar agreements about keeping things quiet from Skywalker in the past. The kid had a way of letting classified juicy bits escape without thinking half the time.

"That's not the point. You said yourself that it was important that word never gets out about this. The one way to ensure that is if we don't tell _anyone,_" Leia reasoned and pleaded at the same time. Quickly, her irritation began to mount. She didn't see why he was so opposed to the idea.

"Since when is Chewie part of _anyone_?" Han's own irritation was rising. She had never had a problem with his first mate knowing anything. The Princess had astutely pointed out more than once that Chewbacca was the one being that knew all the nitty gritty details of all Solo's chaotic adventures and yet somehow still found the ability to be loyal to the Captain.

"What's the big problem? It wasn't a real bonding and I don't see the need to go around making announcements about it," she snapped. She hated this. She was being deliberately hurtful to a friend who had helped her out when she needed it – again. Even though that friend that drove her absolutely around the bend on an almost constant basis. Yet, their time on Uluruan had shown her other things that this particular friend could be to her. She had gone though with the biting comment though, because she felt she had no choice.

Hurt by her tone, Han was angrier than he would have liked. "You're right," he sneered. "It wasn't a real bonding. And if that's the way you want it, you got it, Your Worship." He got up and stalked off into the cockpit. _What the hell was I thinking?_

As the Princess watched him leave, her stomach twisted again. She decided to go find a bunk and lie down. Leia proved she had been right in the first place…

…Han Solo would be too hard to get over.

Rather than track down the aggravating Princess, Solo opened the ship's comlink so it could be heard throughout the ship. "Requesting Her Most Royal Immenseness to join me in the cockpit for duty if she can tear herself away from her regal lounging about. We have real work to do up here," he drawled as sarcastically as possible then slapped the comlink off. He settled back and waited for her to make her entrance.

The majority of his fuming over with had left Solo frustrated and confused. It was as if hardly anything had changed about their relationship, like they were back to square one. Well, maybe not square _one_. The more he thought about it, the more he believed they had never even seen square one. It was more like they had a running start off square three or something. There had never been any buildup to their relationship per se.

Fireworks had exploded instantly between them and the actual blaster bolts flying past them had surely enhanced that adrenaline. They had an immediate chemistry that was unmistakable from the get go. It may have involved more screaming than romance, but any fool knows there is a fine line between love and hate.

At any rate, he was having a hard time believing everything that happened on Uluruan was just the product of his sometime overactive imagination where the Princess was concerned. That evening stroll at the Garden Palace, Leia's less than sober – therefore, unguarded- antics and her relative amiability that was directed towards him for a change all added up.

In spite of that, it seemed as if she were determined to fight those feelings more than ever. Not only that, it confused him enough that he just couldn't be sure he had any kind of real shot with her at all.

Honestly, he agreed with her about keeping it quiet and he really didn't mind not spilling the story to Chewie. The overgrown hairball had been relentless lately, teasing about how he and Leia should stop fighting their feelings and get on with it already. Something like this would just play right into the tormenting Wookiee's furry hands and drive Solo over the edge of sanity.

The door swished open and the Princess wordlessly sat down in the co-pilot's seat without so much as an icy glance towards Solo.

He sighed inwardly at this predictable behavior. "Prepare to come out of hyperspace," the Captain announced, going through the checks for the resumption of sublight speed.

"Everything checks out here," Leia reported crisply, watching her readouts as the navicomputer began its final countdown.

They should end up just outside of the latest secret Rebel base for Leia's cell hidden within the mountainous terrain planetside. This current base was just a temporary place to hole up, of course. It was just another of several since Yavin IV. This particular system was just a little too close for comfort to the Inner Rim. It would do for the time being… hopefully.

A new base was beginning to be carved out of the orb of ice known as Hoth. Extreme temperatures there were causing a lot of delays, freezing the equipment needed to bore through the solid ice and erect the necessary power generator that the base would need to be fully operational.

Logistics reported it wouldn't be ready for the major move of people and equipment for at least four standard weeks, but Han already dreaded going to the new base. Being frozen wasn't his idea of fun, but he had to admit it was a great idea to hide out there. Hoth was practically unlivable and had next to nothing to offer anyone else besides the Rebels trying to hide from the Empire.

It would be the first 'permanent' base that Leia would head up without the others of High Command. She would have General Rieekan to help with the day-to-day of running a military operation, but the final call on things would be hers alone. It had been her decision to go to Hoth. _Figures_, Solo had thought when he first heard the idea.

Han checked the last set of readouts and while everything looked normal, there was an ever-so-slight flutter on his navicomputer gauge that bothered him. It was totally within acceptable levels, but all the same, he jumped out of the pilot's chair to watch it on the navigator's station behind him. He just wanted to see if the flutter was picked up there too, especially since it was the navicomputer's fault they had to land on Uluruan in the first place.

"Okay, on my mark… three… " he counted down for Leia to disengage the hyperdrive as he leaned closer to the board.

"…t- OWW!"

The ship lurched hard out of hyperspace causing her Captain to lose his footing and smash his face directly against the navicomputer's control board. "Hey, Your Worship! _I give the orders on this ship!_" he hollered, assuming she had disengaged the lever early on purpose.

"Then tell that to this hunk of scrap metal! It decided that move on its own!" Leia yelled back.


End file.
